tihxaxy  of  Che  theological  ^tminaxy 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


•3^1> 


PRESENTED  BY 

The  Estate   of   the 
Rev.   John  B.  Wiedinger 

BS49I 
y.  S 


READINGS  IN  THE  ACTS,  THE  EPISTLES 
AND  REVELATION 


The   most  imposing  and  important  work 
undertaken  by  Dr.  Miller." 

British  C  ongregationalist. 

DEVOTIONAL  HOURS  WITH 
THE  BIBLE 

By  J.  R.  MILLER,  D.  D. 
In  Eight  Volumes  Price,  $1.25  Net,  Per  Volume 

XN  this  series  of  devotional  expositions  Dr. 
Miller  proposes  to  cover  the  entire  Bible, 
not  in  detail,  but  in  such  a  manner  as  to  fur- 
nish a  comprehensive  yet  concise  spiritual  in- 
terpretation of  the  Bible  Record  from  Genesis 
to  Revelation. 

These  volumes  are  designed  to  include  the 
spiritual  and  practical  lessons  of  the  great  pas- 
sages of  the  Bible  in  so  far  as  they  bear  upon 
the  common  life  of  the  people  of  to-day. 

NOW  READY 

Vol.  L — From  the  Creation  to  the  Crossing  of 
the  Red  Sea. 

Vol.  n. — From  the  Crossing  of  the  Red  Sea 

to  the  Close  of  the  Life  of  David. 
Vol.  in. — The  Gospel  by  Matthew. 
Vol.  IV. — Solomon  to  Malachi. 

Vol.  V. — Readings  in  the  Synoptic  Gospels  on 
the  Life  of  Christ. 

Vol.  VI. — Readings  from  the  Psalms. 

Vol.  VII.— The  Gospel  of  St.  John. 

Vol.  VIII. — Readings  in  the  Acts,  the  Epistles 
and  Revelation. 


DEVOTIONAL  H 
WITH   THE   BIBLE 


READINGS  IN  THE  ACTS,  THE  EPISTLES 
AND  REVELATION 


BY 


J.  R.  MILLER,  D.  D. 


PHILADELPHIA 
THE  WESTMINSTER  PRESS 


Copyright,  191S 
GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


GENERAL  PREFACE 

Theee  are  two  methods  of  studying  the  Bible.  One 
is,  verse  by  verse,  giving  close  thought  to  every 
word,  even  looking  into  etymology  and  grammat- 
ical construction,  so  that  the  exact  sense  of  the 
text  may  be  learned.  Such  study  is  important. 
Many  rich  shades  of  meaning  are  often  revealed 
by  intelligent  and  scholarly  exegesis.  Commen- 
taries that  take  us  over  the  Bible  in  this  micro- 
scopical way  are  valuable.  We  need  every  par- 
ticle of  light  on  the  Scriptures  we  can  get. 

Then  another  way  of  studying  the  Bible  is  in 
order  to  get  from  it  practical  lessons  for  our  own 
daily,  common  life.  What  does  the  passage  teach 
us?  What  divine  instruction  have  we  in  it  for 
ourselves?  It  is  the  latter  purpose  that  is  in 
mind  in  this  book.  It  is  not  a  commentary  in  the 
usual  sense.  It  is  not  an  exegetical  study  of  the 
Scriptures  that  is  proposed.  No  textual  criticism 
is  given.  There  is  no  discussion  of  questions  of 
dates,  of  localities,  of  authorships,  or  archaeolog- 
ical researches.  Its  single  aim  is  to  suggest  some 
of  the  spiritual  lessons  which  may  be  gathered 
from  great  passages. 

The  book  does  not  attempt  to  cover  every  chap- 
ter; to  do  this  would  make  it  altogether  too  long 


vi  PREFACE 

— ^it  deals  only  with  what  appears  to  be  leading 
and  representative  portions  of  the  Bible. 

It  is  a  book  for  use  in  the  inner  chamber,  wihere 
life  receives  its  impulses  for  conduct,  for  duty, 
for  service,  and  for  devotion.  The  Bible  is  a  very 
ancient  book,  but  it  is  also  a  book  for  to-day.  It 
brings  us  face  to  face  with  God,  and  its  teachings 
are  meant  to  guide  us  in  all  our  ways. 

J.  E.  M. 


PREFACE  TO  THIS  VOLUME 

In  1908,  when  Dr.  Miller  was  persuaded  to  pre- 
pare these  practical  comments  for  the  volumes  of 
this  series,  he  asked  me  to  share  his  editorial 
duties  in  order  that  he  might  have  time  for  the 
new  work.  Side  by  side  we  worked  for  four 
years,  during  which  he  completed  seven  volumes 
of  the  eight.  He  was  busy  on  the  last  volume 
when  he  realized  that  God  would  soon  take  him 
from  earth.  Then  the  request  was  made  that  I 
complete  the  volume  for  him. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  tell  readers  that  the 
messages  are  all  from  Dr.  Miller's  pen.  My  only 
task  has  been  the  choice  of  material  and  the  ad- 
justment of  the  chapters.  John"  T.  Faeis. 

Philadelphia,  January,  1913. 


vS 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I  PAGE 

Christ's  ascension i 

Acts  i.  1-14 

CHAPTER  II 

the  holy  spirit  given ii 

Acts  ii.  1-13 

CHAPTER  III 

a  multitude  converted 1 8 

Acts  ii.  32-47 

CHAPTER  IV 

the  lame  man  healed .      26 

Acts  iii.  i-ii 

CHAPTER  V 

the  trial  of  peter  and  john 34 

Acts  iv.  1-31 

CHAPTER  VI 
the  sin  of  lying 40 

Acts  v.  i-h 

» 

CHAPTER  VII 

the  apostles  IMPRISONED 48 

Acts  v.  17-32 
CHAPTER  VIII 

STEPHEN  THE  FIRST  MARTYR 54 

Acts  vi.  i-8;  vii.  54  to  viii.  2 
CHAPTER  IX 

THE  DISCIPLES  DISPERSED 60 

Acts  vin.  1-17 
ix 


X  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  X  PAGE 

the  first  ethiopian  convert 67 

Acts  viii.  26-40 

CHAPTER  XI 

the  conversion  of  saul 75 

Acts  ix.  1-30 

CHAPTER  Xn 

peter  and  cornelius 8l 

Acts  x.  1-20 

CHAPTER  Xni 

gentiles  converted  at  antioch 87 

Acts  xi.  19-26 

CHAPTER  XIV 

PETER  DELIVERED  FROM  PRISON 93 

Acts  xn.  1-17 

CHAPTER  XV 

the  first  christian  missionaries 102 

Acts  xiii.  1-13 

CHAPTER  XVI 

the  council  at  jerusalem ho 

Acts  xv.  1-5,  22-29 

CHAPTER  XVII 

PAUL  BEFORE  KING  AGRIPPA II5 

Acts  xxvi.  1-30;  also  19-32 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

paul's  voyage  and  shipwreck 124 

Acts  xxvii 

CHAPTER  XIX 
justification  by  faith 131 

ROM.  V.  I-II 

CHAPTER  XX 

the  life-giving  spirit 138 

RoM.  viii,  1-14 


CONTENTS  xi 

CHAPTER  XXI  PAGE 

CHRISTIAN  LIVING I44 

Rom.  XII.  9-21 
CHAPTER  XXn 

THE  LAW  OF  LOVE 1,50 

RoM.  XIII.  8-14 
CHAPTER  XXni 

ABSTAINING  FOR  THE  SAKE  OF  OTHERS  .....      I55 

I  COR.  VIH 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

A  LESSON  IN  SELF-DENIAL I6I 

I  Cor.  X.  23-33 
CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  lord's  SUPPER I67 

I  Cor.  XI.  20-34 
CHAPTER  XXVI 

PAUL  ON  CHRISTIAN  LOVE I75 

I  Cor.  XIII 
CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  RISEN  CHRIST I81 

1  Cor.  XV.  3-28 
CHAPTER  XXVIII 

PAUL  ON  THE  GRACE  OF  GIVING 187 

2  Cor.  vin.  1-15 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

1    the  flesh  and  the  spirit i92 

Gal.  v.  16-26 

CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  IMITATION  OF  CHRIST 1 97 

Eph.  IV.  20-30 
CHAPTER  XXXI 

A  CALL  TO  CHRISTLIKE  LIVING  .......      205 

EpH.  V.  II -2 1 


xu 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XXXII  page 

THE  CHRISTIAN  ARMOUR 209 

Eph.  VI.  10-20 

CHAPTER  XXXIII 

Christ's  humility  and  exaltation 215 

Phil.  ii.  i-ii 

CHAPTER  XXXIV 

the  new  life  in  CHRIST 222 

Col.  III.  1-15 

CHAPTER  XXXV 
Paul's  counsel  to  the  thessalonians   .  ...    228 

I  Thess.  v.  14-28 

CHAPTER  XXXVI 

Paul's  charge  to  timothy 235 

2  Tim.  III.  14  to  IV.  5 

CHAPTER  XXXVII 
sober  living 24o 

Titus  ii 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

the  priesthood  OF  CHRIST 246 

Heb.  IX 
CHAPTER  XXXIX 

heroes  of  FAITH 252 

Heb.  XI. 

CHAPTER  XL 

believing  and  doing 258 

James  ii.  14-26 

CHAPTER  XLI 

the  power  of  the  tongue 262 

James  hi.  1-12 

CHAPTER  XLII 

THE  HEAVENLY  INHERITANCE 268 

I  Peter  i.  1-12 


CONTENTS  xiii 

CHAPTER  XLIII  page 

SALUTARY  WARNINGS 275 

I  Peter  iv.  i-8 
CHAPTER  XLIV 

BIN  AND  SALVATION 38l 

I  John  i.  5  to  11.  6 

CHAPTER  XLV 

god's  love  in  the  gift  of  his  son 288 

I  John  iv.  9-16 

CHAPTER  XLVI 

JESUS  APPEARS  TO  JOHN 292 

Rev.  I.  9-20 
CHAPTER  XLVII 

WORSHIPING  GOD  AND  THE  LAMB 297 

Rev.  V 
CHAPTER  XLVIII 

the  SAINTS  IN  HEAVEN 304 

Rev.  VII.  9-17 
CHAPTER  XLIX 

THE  HEAVENLY  HOME •     S" 

Rev.  xxn.  i-ii 
CHAPTER  L 

THE  GREAT  INVITATION ^    .  .     3^6 

Rev.  XXII.  11-21 


EEADINGS  IN  THE  ACTS,  THE  EPISTLES 
AND  EEVELATION 


CHAPTER  I 

cheist's  ascension 

Read  Acts  1: 1-14 

The  Ascension  was  part  of  the  work  of  Christ  as 
our  Saviour.  It  was  not  the  end  of  it.  The 
Gospel  narrative  is  described  by  Luke  as  ''all  that 
Jesus  began  both  to  do  and  to  teach. "  It  is  inter- 
esting to  think  of  words  and  deeds  of  Jesus  as 
beginnings.  He  did  not  cease  to  live  and  work 
when  He  went  away  from  earth.  He  only  re- 
turned to  heaven,  where  He  continmed  His  active 
interest  in  behalf  of  this  world.  The  atonement 
was  made  on  the  cross,  but  the  real  work  of  sav- 
ing men  goes  on  all  these  common  days.  Men  are 
not  saved  merely  by  Christ's  death  on  Calvary; 
each  one  is  saved  by  a  personal  relation  with 
Christ,  and  by  the  work  of  Christ,  which  goes  on 
in  his  life  from  the  day  he  settles  the  great  ques- 
tion until  he  enters  heaven.  Thus  the  work  of 
Christ  is  going  on ;  He  only  began  it  in  His  years 
on  the  earth.  The  coming  of  the  Spirit  was  really 
the  return  of  Christ  to  this  world  to  continue  His 
ministry.  His  work  is  carried  on,  too,  by  His 
people  in  this  world.  We  are  the  body  of  Christ 
and  we  are  to  be  Christ  to  others;  Christ  would 
live  in  us  and  work  through  us. 

1 


2  CHRIST'S  ASCENSION 

The  most  wonderful  miracle  the  world  ever 
saw  was  the  raising  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead. 
The  truth  of  the  resurrection  is  the  very  comer 
stone  of  our  Christian  faith.  Everything  depends 
upon  it.  If  it  could  be  disproved,  the  whole  system 
of  Christianity  Would  be  swept  away.  A  Christ 
who  died  and  did  not  rise  again  could  never  be  the 
Helper  and  Saviour  we  need.  If  the  body  of 
Jesus  still  lies  amid  the  dust  of  Jerusalem,  how 
can  He  help  us  in  our  struggles,  our  toils  and  our 
duties?  If  death  was  too  strong  for  Him,  how  can 
we  hope  that  He  can  conquer  death  for  us?  In 
those  forty  days  during  which  Christ  remained  on 
the  earth  He  appeared  again  and  again  to  His  dis- 
ciples in  different  manifestations  of  His  love,  and 
gave  them  proofs  which  left  not  a  shadow  of  a 
doubt  in  aJny  heart. 

No  doubt  they  Would  gladly  have  gone  forth  at 
once  to  begin  the  work  of  preaching  and  saving 
men.  It  would  seem,  too,  as  if  they  were  prepared 
to  go,  for  they  had  been  in  training  with  Christ 
for  three  years.  Now  that  He  was  risen  and  as- 
cended to  heaven,  why  should  they  wait  longer? 
We  think  of  them  as  eager  to  begin  their  work. 
But  they  were  not  yet  ready.  We  learn  that  wait- 
ing sometimes  is  our  first  duty.  It  is  easier  to  be 
active  than  to  wait,  but  sometimes  everything  de- 
pends upon  our  ability  to  be  patient  and  not  to 
move.  When  Christ  wants  us  to  wait,  though  it 
may  seem  to  be  a  waste  of  time,  we  can  always 
serve  Him  best  by  simply  waiting.    Indeed,  we 


ACTS  1:1-14  3 

can  serve  Him  then  in  no  other  way.  Many  a 
good  life  is  marred  and  its  nsefulness  wrecked  by 
impatience;  it  is  the  patient  man  to  whom  bless- 
ings come.  A  story  is  told  of  a  Christian  woman 
who  had  been  active  for  many  years,  busy  in 
ministries  for  Christ,  who  at  last  was  laid  aside  in 
wasting  consumption.  Yet  she  was  as  quiet  in  her 
waiting  as  ever  she  had  been  in  her  most  active 
years.  One  day  her  pastor  said  to  her:  ''I  can- 
not understand  your  quietness  and  peace  these 
days.  In  former  times,  when  you  were  well,  you 
were  ever  going  somewhere  on  some  ministry  of 
love,  and  were  never  still  a  moment.  But  now 
you  seem  to  be  as  contented  and  restful  here  in 
your  bed,  when  you  can  do  nothing,  as  ever  you 
were  in  your  busy  days. ' '  She  replied :  * '  When  I 
was  well,  I  used  to  hear  Jesus  say,  continually,  ^  Go 
and  do  this  or  that,*  and  I  always  went  quickly 
and  obeyed  Him.  But  now  I  hear  Jesus  say  each 
hour,  'Lie  here  and  cough,'  and  I  know  that  it  is 
His  will  for  me,  and  I  do  it  as  sweetly  as  I  can." 
She  had  caught  the  secret  of  the  restful  life. 

The  waiting  was  not  idle — there  was  a  purpose 
in  it.  There  was  a  promise  of  divine  power. 
''Wait  for  the  promise."  They  were  not  yet 
ready  to  go  out  to  work ;  they  were  not  prepared 
to  preach  Christ's  gospel  until  they  had  received 
the  divine  gift.  There  is  a  good  lesson  here  for 
very  many  of  us.  Ofttimes  we  are  in  too  much  of 
a  hurry  to  get  to  active  work.  We  do  not  think  of 
preparation  for  it.    Some  young  men  can  hardly 


4:  CHRIST'S  ASCENSION 

restradn  their  impatience  to  get  through  college 
and  theological  seminary,  that  they  may  begin  to 
preach.  They  want  to  combine  as  many  years  as 
possible  in  their  course  of  training  that  they  may 
get  the  more  quickly  into  the  field.  They  think 
they,  are  wasting  time  in  studying  Latin,  Greek, 
Hebrew,  Church  history  and  theology.  But  they 
make  a  serious  mistake.  To  be  fitted  for  work  in 
life  they  need  all  the  preparation  they  can  pos- 
sibly obtain.  Then,  even  after  one  has  finished 
the  formal  courses  of  study  and  is  intellectually 
ready  for  the  work,  there  is  still  something  more 
to  wait  for;  no  man  should  begin  to  preach  the 
gospel  of  Christ  until  he  has  waited  at  Christ's 
feet  for  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This 
preparation  he  cannot  get  from  books  nor  in  col- 
leges and  seminaries.  The  apostles  had  been  well 
taught,  with  Christ  Himself  as  the  teacher;  yet 
even  they  were  not  fitted  to  go  out  and  meet  the 
world  until  they  had  been  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.  The  lesson  applies  to  all  of  us.  Every 
morning  we  should  linger  in  prayer  before  God  to 
receive  His  Spirit  to  fit  us  for  the  day's  life  and 
duty.  Before  every  special  ministry  to  which  we 
are  called  we  should  also  wait  until  we  are  endued 
with  power. 

The  disciples  were  full  of  questions.  All  their 
original  thoughts  about  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus 
and  the  form  of  their  o^m  service  had  to  be  re- 
adjusted. So  they  came  with  the  question,  "Lord, 
dost  thou  at  this  time  restore  the  kingdom  to 


ACTS  1 : 1-14  5 

Israel?"  Jesus  answered,  "It  is  not  for  you  to 
know  times  or  seasons."  They  were  anxious  to 
know  about  the  future,  to  have  a  sort  of  program 
or  chart  of  the  coming  years.  They  were  some- 
what inclined  to  speculation.  Jesus  taught  them 
that  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  times  and 
seasons,  which  were  still  in  the  Father's  authority. 
They  did  not  need  to  trouble  themselves  about 
these  things.  The  lesson  is  important  for  all  of 
us.  There  are  many  things  it  is  better  we  should 
not  know  beforehand.  Indeed,  it  is  a  merciful 
provision  that  we  cannot  see  into  the  future.  If 
we  could  see  the  sorrows,  struggles,  defeats  and 
trials  that  we  shall  have  to  meet  before  we  get 
home,  all  our  bright  days  would  be  saddened  by 
anticipation  of  these  things.  As  it  is,  we  go  on, 
unconscious  of  shadows  that  lie  before  us,  living 
as  if  all  were  clear  and  bright,  trusting  Grod  for 
the  future.  Then  when  we  come  to  the  hard 
points,  God  gives  us  grace  to  meet  them.  "Suf- 
ficient unto  the  day  is  the  e\41  thereof."  On  the 
other  hand,  if  we  knew  the  joys,  blessings  and 
prosperities  which  we  are  to  have  in  our  life,  it 
might  make  us  vain  and  self -confident.  At  least 
it  might  hinder  us  from  doing  our  work  in  the 
very  best  possible  way.  It  is  better  far  that  we 
should  leave  all  our  future  in  God's  hands;  it  is 
not  for  us  to  know  the  times  or  the  seasons. 

The  disciples  were  assured  that  they  should  re- 
ceive something  better  than  a  chart  of  the  times. 
Instead  of  worrying  about  the  future,  they  should 


6  CHRIST'S  ASCENSION 

liaive  strength  given  them  to  meet  the  future  as  it 
should  be  opened  unto  them.  Instead  of  idly  pry- 
ing into  hidden  things  their  duty  was  to  take  up 
the  work  of  Christ  and  enter  heartily  upon  it. 
The  lesson  is  very  important.  We  are  told  to 
watch  for  Christ's  coming,  but  the  way  to  watch 
is  not  to  'sit  down  in  idleness  and  wonder  if  He 
will  come  to-morrow,  but  to  keep  our  hands  ever 
full  of  earnest  work  in  His  service,  work  which 
will  help  to  hasten  the  coming  of  His  Kingdom, 
work  at  which  we  should  like  Him  to  find  us  when 
He  comes. 

The  particular  form  of  the  work  of  the  dis- 
ciples was  indicated.  ''Ye  shall  be  my  wit- 
nesses." It  was  for  this  that  they  had  been 
called  and  trained — that  they  might  be  witnesses 
for  Him.  A  mtness  is  one  who  knows  something 
of  which  he  is  to  testify  to  others.  Forty  days 
before,  Jesus  had  been  put  to  death  in  Jerusalem, 
and  they  were  to  go  out  and  tell  of  this.  They 
had  lived  with  Him  for  three  years,  hearing  His 
words  and  seeing  His  life.  They  were  to  testify 
of  all  they  had  heard  and  seen.  To  the  men  who 
had  stained  their  hands  in  Christ's  own  blood 
was  the  gospel  first  preached.  Another  thought 
is  that  the  murderers  of  Christ  first  received  the 
gospel  and  many  of  them  were  saved.  This  would 
prove  to  all  the  world  that  none  need  perish.  For 
if  those  who  had  nailed  Christ  to  the  cross  should 
receive  remission  of  sins,  surely  no  other  sinner 
anywhere  could  have  sins  too  black  to  be  forgiven. 


ACTS  1:1-14  7 

A  still  further  suggestion  from  this  command  was 
that  all  Christian  work  should  begin  at  home, 
right  among  those  whom  we  know  and  love  the 
best.  We  are  to  begin  at  this  center  and  then 
work  out  as  we  can  into  all  the  world. 

Wliile  Jesus  was  talking  one  day  to  His  dis- 
ciples "he  was  taken  up."  In  the  other  account 
of  the  Ascension  we  are  told  that  it  was  while 
with  uplifted  hands  He  was  blessing  that  He 
parted  from  them  and  was  carried  from  them. 
This  was  the  last  glimpse  the  world  had  of  Jesus. 
We  like  to  remember  how  a  friend  looked  and 
what  he  was  doing  the  last  time  we  saw  him. 

No  wonder  the  disciples  stood  looking  up  into 
heaven  after  their  ascending  Lord.  But  this  was 
not  their  most  important  duty.  There  was  no 
reason  for  sorrow.  They  had  not  lost  Jesus.  He 
had  told  them  it  was  expedient  for  them  that  He 
should  go  away  that  He  might  send  the  Comforter. 
Besides,  He  had  not  gone  to  stay.  In  due  time 
He  w'ould  return  again.  Pensive  gazing  is  never 
the  best  occupation.  Working  and  witnessing  are 
better.  When  our  friends  leave  us,  we  are  not  for- 
bidden to  sorrow,  but  certainlj^  we  are  forbidden 
to  sorrow  in  a  way  that  breaks  up  our  life  of  duty 
and  service.  A  mother  who  lost  a  beloved  daugh- 
ter years  ago,  has  done  scarcely  anything  since 
but  visit  the  cemetery  and  weep.  Her  home  duties 
have  been  neglected.  The  li-\dng  members  of  her 
family  have  received  almost  no  care.  She  sits  and 
gazes  up  into  heaven  and  weeps  for  her  child. 


8  CHRIST'S  ASCENSION 

This  is  not  the  way  our  Lord  wants  us  to  do.  He 
wants  us  to  go  at  once  back  to  our  duties,  thought- 
ful and  serious,  yet  earnest  and  faithful,  looking 
for  blessing  from  heaven  and  witnessing  by  our 
faith  and  hope  to  the  glory  of  our  Saviour.  One 
was  telling  me  of  a  friend  who  came  in  one  morn- 
ing and  sat  for  half  an  hour  and  spoke  of  matters 
which  were  much  on  his  heart,  giving  this  younger 
person  advice  and  counsel  and  showing  the  deep- 
est, most  loving  interest.  In  two  days  he  was 
gone  and  then  my  friend  said  he  never  could  for- 
get that  last  visit,  with  the  eager  affection  and 
the  deep  interest.  That  good  face  will  always  be 
remembered  as  when  it  was  last  seen.  That  was 
the  way  the  disciples  would  always  think  of  Him. 
This  last  act  of  the  Master,  as  He  was  leaving 
the  earth,  ought  to  mean  a  great  deal  to  us.  The 
last  thing  He  did  was  to  stretch  out  His  hands  and 
breathe  from  His  lips  a  blessing.  Christ's  mis- 
sion to  the  world  was  to  bless  it.  At  every  step 
He  left  benedictions.  Wlierever  He  went  He  car- 
ried cheer.  There  are  a  few  human  friends  whose 
visits  are  full  of  inspiration.  A  sick  woman,  a 
great  sufferer  for  many  years,  said  one  day  to  a 
friend:  **Yes,  I  am  better  this  aftern/oon.  I  had 
Dr.  Chalmers,  my  pastor,  here,  and  he  never  comes 
but  I  say:  'That  is  just  how  Jesus  would  have 
oome  to  see  me.  That  is  the  way  Jesus  would 
have  spoken.  That  is  the  way  Jesus  would  have 
looked.'  And  I  am  better  af terwairds. "  Jesus 
was  always  lifting  up  His  hands  and  blessing 


ACTS  1 : 1-14  9 

people.  He  blessed  the  children,  the  sick,  the 
sorrowing,  the  lonely.  His  whole  life  was  really 
just  like  that  vision  the  disciples  had  of  Hira  that 
dav  of  the  Ascension. 

Some  people  spend  too  much  time  gazing  into 
heaven.  There  is  a  time  when  we  ought  to  look 
upward,  toward  the  skies.  Man  was  made  to 
adore.  The  original  word  in  Greek  for  man 
means  the  upward  look.  One  who  looks  always 
downward  only  grovels.  Heaven  is  above  us.  We 
get  our  inspirations  from  above  us.  Our  final 
home  is  above  us.  Never  to  look  upward  is  to 
miss  all  that  is  worthy,  beautiful  and  divime  in 
life. 

But  there  is  a  gazing  into  the  heavens  which 
is  most  idle  and  wasteful.  The  disciples  saw  their 
Master  as  He  left  them,  'and  watched  while  His 
form  was  visible,  until  it  was  folded  away  in  the 
cloud.  Then  it  was  their  duty  to  hasten  away  to 
begin  their  waiting  and  praying.  They  were  not 
to  lose  a  mioraent.  Peter  wished  to  build  taber- 
nacles and  keep  the  transfiguration  glory  on  the 
mountain.  But  it  was  a  mistaken  wish.  "Work 
was  waiting,  and  the  purpose  of  the  transfigura- 
tion was  to  prepare  the  Master  and  His  disciples 
for  going  forward  in  the  service  of  love. 

It  is  not  enough  to  read  the  Bible  and  to  have 
our  hearts  warmed  by  its  revealings  and  our 
spirits  stirred  by  its  calls  to  duty.  The  fervour 
is  meant  to  send  us  out  into  the  world  to  live  nobly 
and  to  make  the  world  better  and  happier.    Let 


10  CHRIST'S  ASCENSION 

us  heed  the  call  that  bids  us  away  from  our  idle 
gazing  to  serious  duty.  We  dream  too  much — 
/  dreaming  accomplishes  nothing  till  we  turn  away 
and  put  our  dreams  into  acts.  We  need  the 
dreams  to  give  us  the  inspiration,  to  show  us  the 
ideal,  to  set  before  us  the  heavenly  pattern;  then 
we  must  go  forth  to  make  the  dreams  become 
real  in  life,  in  character,  in  service. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE    HOLY    SPIRIT    GIVEN 

Read  Acts  11:1-13 

This  is  the  story  of  the  begiiming  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  It  was  fifty  days  after  the  death  of 
Christ.  It  did  not  occur  at  a  convention — ^it  was 
not  an  earth-bom  organization  that  was  effected 
that  day — ^it  was  heaven-bom. 

Wlien  Jesus  ascended  He  sent  His  disciples  to 
prayer,  continuous  prayer.  The  prayer  was  for  a 
definite  object.  A  promise  had  been  given  to 
them,  but  they  were  to  get  it  by  prayer,  perse- 
vering, believing  prayer.  Ten  days  had  passed 
and  here  is  what  is  said  about  the  disciples,  ^ '  They 
were  all  together  in  one  place. '  *  This  was  an  ideal 
meeting.  For  one  thing  they  were  all  there — the 
ministers  and  the  women  and  the  men,  too.  At 
some  prayer  meetings  there  are  many  women,  but 
very  few  men.  All  the  friends  of  Christ  living 
in  Jerusalem  were  present  at  this  meeting.  None 
excused  themselves  because  they  had  other  things 
to  do.  The  interest  was  so  deep  that  nobody 
thought  of  remaining  away  from  a  single  meet- 
ing. This  was  now  the  tenth  day  of  the  meet- 
ings, and  yet  no  one  had  growQ  weary.    Wliat  a 

11 


12  THE  HOLY  SPIEIT  GIVEN 

loss  to  the  person  it  would  have  been  if  anyone 
bad  stayed  at  home  the  day  the  Spirit  came! 
People  who  miss  even  one  meeting  do  not  know 
what  blessing  may  come  that  day  which  they  will 
lose.  Thomas  was  absent  from  a  meeting  one 
evening,  and  we  know  whait  he  missed.  Jesus 
came  that  night,  and  for  a  whole  week  Thomas 
was  unhappy  and  lived  in  doubt.  If  anyone  had 
been  absent  on  this  day  of  Pentecost,  he  would 
have  missed  a  great  blessing. 

We  must  notice,  too,  that  these  people  all  came 
promptly.  A  long  while  after  the  meeting  began 
Peter  said  it  was  only  nine  o'clock.  They  must, 
therefore,  have  met  at  daybreak,  at  the  latest,  and 
yet  they  were  all  there.  That  was  another  good 
point — promptness  and  punctuality.  They  were 
also  there  with  one  accord.  They  were  all  of  one 
mind.  There  was  no  discord  among  them.  They 
had  one  purpose.  Their  hearts  made  music,  and 
Grod  heard  the  music  in  heaven.  There  is  another 
thing  about  their  praying — it  was  importunate. 
The  meetings  had  continued  now  ten  days,  but 
none  of  them  had  wearied.  All  these  points  we 
should  treasure  up,  so  that  we  may  pray  in  the 
same  way. 

The  breath  of  God  was  breathed  upon  the  wait- 
ing company.  Breath  means  spirit.  The  night 
after  the  resurrection,  in  the  upper  room,  Jesus 
breathed  upon  His  disciples  and  said,  ^'Receive  ye 
the  Holy  Spirit.^'  On  the  day  of  Pentecost  they 
heard  a  sound  like  a  wind.    It  was  not  a  wind — ^it 


ACTS  11:1-13  13 

was  the  breathing  of  God.  Until  the  wind  of  God 
blows  upon  our  hearts  and  lives  there  is  no  divine 
blessing  for  us.  Miss  Havergal  tells  of  receiving 
once  from  a  friend  a  gift  of  an  SBolian  harp.  She 
did  not  know  how  to  use  the  harp  to  make  music 
on  it.  She  tried  picking  and  thrumming  its 
strings,  but  there  was  no  music  produced  by  this 
process.  Then  she  looked  over  the  friend 's  letter 
that  had  come  with  the  harp,  and  learned  how  to 
use  it.  ''Raise  your  window,"  the  instructions 
ran,  "and  put  it  under  the  sash,  that  the  wind  may 
blow  over  the  wires."  Then  the  room  Was  filled 
with  the  gentle  strains.  The  only  way  to  get  the 
music  from  these  lives  of  ours  is  to  have  the  wind 
of  God  blow  upon  them. 

First  the  wind,  then  the  fire — both  symbols  of 
God — and  then  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Here  we  see  the  blessing  of  importunity 
and  persistence.  If  they  had  ceased  praying  any 
time  before  the  tenth  day  the  blessing  would  not 
have  come.  No  doubt  many  of  our  prayers  fail 
to  be  answered  because  we  grow  weary  and  give 
up  too  soon.  "We  talk  a  great  deal  about  submit- 
ting to  God's  will  in  praying.  That  is  right,  but 
we  may  be  altogether  too  submissive.  It  is  God 's 
will  ofttimes  that  we  should  not  cease  to  cry  to 
Him.  He  wants  us  to  be  importunate,  to  press 
our  request,  to  pray,  and  not  faint.  It  was  a 
wonderful  answer  that  came  that  day — they  were 
all  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  were  filled; 
not  a  little  measure  of  the  divine  blessing  was 


14  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  GIVEN 

granted,  but  all  they  could  receive.  God  will  give 
us  all  we  bave  room  for  of  His  grace  and  love. 
The  reason  some  have  more  blessing  than  others 
is  because  they  make  more  room  in  their  hearts 
than  others  do  for  the  blessing.  The  boy  who 
has  his  pockets  full  of  nails  and  marbles  and  bits 
of  string,  when  his  mother  tells  him  to  take  all 
the  cakes  his  pockets  will  hold,  does  not  get  many 
cakes.  Older  people,  whose  hearts  are  full  of  this 
world,  get  but  a  small  measure  of  the  Spirit  in 
their  prajdng.  It  was  the  Holy  Spirit  that  was 
given  to  these  first  disciples  so  richly;  it  was  not 
mere  good  feeling,  but  warm  emotion,  not  fresh 
enthusiasm,  not  a  good  influence,  but  the  Holy 
Spirit.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  God — it  was  Himself 
that  God  gave  them.  He  came  down  to  live  in 
them,  not  with  them  only,  but  in  them.  So  this 
was  the  most  wonderful  blessing  that  was  ever 
given  to  men.  The  best  of  it  is  that  we  may  have 
the  same  blessing  if  we  will  only  ask  for  it.  We 
get  nothing  in  this  world  so  freely.    Lowell  says : 

Bubbles  we  earn  with  our  whole  soul's  tasking, 

'T  is  heaven  alone  that  is  given  away, 
'T  is  only  God  can  be  had  for  the  asking. 

We  all  like  to  have  visits  from  pleasant  friends. 
Here  is  a  Friend,  the  most  pleasant,  the  most 
tender,  the  most  helpful  Friend  in  this  world. 
He  will  oome  to  visit  tis  if  only  we  ask  Him,  if 
we  really  want  Him  to  oome.  He  will  come,  not 
to  make  a  short  stay  of  an  hour  or  a  day,  but  to 


ACTS  H:  1-13  16 

remain  always  as  our  guest;  not  merely  in  our 
house,  but  in  our  heart. 

The  effect  of  being  filled  with  G-od  was  seen 
at  once.  ' '  They  .  .  .  began  to  speak  with  other 
tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance."  It 
was  very  important,  then,  that  the  disciples  could 
talk  to  the  crowds  of  foreigners  on  the  streets  in 
their  own  languages.  They  were  to  be  mission- 
aries, and  they  could  not  tell  these  strangers  about 
Christ  unless  they  knew  their  language.  This  mir- 
acle of  tongues  made  them  ready  at  once  for  their 
work.  When  our  missionaries  go  to  heathen 
lands  the  first  thing  they  must  do  is  to  learn  the 
language  of  those  to  whom  they  would  tell  the 
story  of  Christ.  This  takes  a  long  time.  On  the 
day  of  Pentecost  the  foreigners  from  all  countries 
were  right  there,  and  there  was  no  time  for  the 
disciples  to  learn  the  different  languages  io  the 
ordinary  way;  so  God  taught  them  at  once  how 
to  preach  in  different  tongues.  The  Spirit  does 
not  give  this  same  power  to  Christians  in  these 
days.  You  will  not  be  able,  without  any  study, 
to  speak  German,  or  Spanish,  or  French  the  mo- 
ment you  are  converted.  But  there  is  a  sense  in 
which  the  Spirit  gives  every  new  convert  a  new 
tongue.  A  Christian  has  a  new  speech.  The 
tongue  that  spoke  lies,  speaks  truth  now.  The 
tongue  that  spoke  bitter  words,  utters  now  only 
kind,  loving  words.  So  we  do  get  new  tong-ues 
when  we  receive  the  Holy  Spirit.  If  a  boy  or  a 
maai  swears  or  lies  and  speaks  bad  words,  or  gets 


16  THE  HOLY  SPmiT  GIVEN 

cross  and  utters  angry  words,  we  know  that  he 
still  has  his  old  tongue  and  has  not  yet  gotten  a 
new  one.  But  when  he  has  the  language  of  love, 
of  praise,  of  prayer,  we  know  that  he  is  under 
a  new  power,  the  power  of  God. 

**Everj'  man  heard  them  speaking  in  his  own 
language."  This  was  a  token  that  the  gospel  of 
Christ  should  sometime  be  preached  in  that  lan- 
guage. In  a  certain  sense  this  was  fulfilled  in  the 
apostles'  days,  for  the  preachers  went  everywhere 
with  the  Word.  But  it  is  now  fulfilled  in  a  far 
more  glorious  sense,  for  the  Bible  has  been  actu- 
ally translated  into  nearly  every  important  lan- 
guage of  the  world,  and  is  sent  to  every  nation,  so 
that  the  people  of  all  lands  may  Hiterally  hear 
the  gospel  and  the  wonderful  works  of  God  in 
their  own  tongue. 

That  was  a  Wonderful  day.  No  matter  from 
what  country  any  man  in  the  throngs  on  the  streets 
had  come,  there  was  some  one  to  tell  him  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  His  love,  and  of  the  great  redemption 
offered  now  to  all  the  world.  ''How  hear  we, 
every  man  in  his  own  language?  .  .  .  They 
were  all  amazed,  and  were  perplexed. ' '  No  won- 
der they  were  amazed.  It  was  really  a  wonderful 
thing  that  had  happened.  Indeed,  everything 
about  redemption  is  wonderful.  The  sending  of 
Jesus  Christ,  God's  Son,  to  be  bom  as  a  little 
babe  and  to  live  a  human  life,  was  wonderful.  The 
dying  of  Christ  on  the  cross  was  wonderful.  Then 
the  coming  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  wonderful. 


ACTS  II :  1-13  17 

Yet  there  are  many  people  who  find  more  to 
interest  and  amaze  them  in  bits  of  shells  or  stones 
or  minerals,  or  in  birds  or  ants  or  beetles,  than  in 
the  gospel.  They  think  the  subject  of  redemption 
a  matter  suited  only  to  Sunday-school  children, 
ignorant  people,  and  sick  folks,  while  they  find 
subjects  suited  to  their  great  minds  in  the  fields 
of  the  sciences  and  philosophies.  How  little 
earth's  wise  people  know  of  the  wonderful  treas- 
ures of  wisdom  hidden  in  the  gospel ! 

We  are  told  in  a  later  verse  that  some  of  the 
people  mocked.  There  are  always  some  people 
who  will  scoff  and  ridicule  every  extraordinary 
manifestation  of  Grod's  grace.  When  Jesus  per- 
formed great  miracles,  they  said  He  was  in  league 
with  Beelzebub  and  wrought  His  mighty  works 
through  Beelzebub's  power.  Festus  pronounced 
St.  Paul  mad  when  he  saw  his  great  zeal  and 
earnestness  in  Christ's  service.  These  scoffing 
beholders  accounted  for  the  wonderful  things  they 
saw  the  disciples  doing  by  saying  that  they  were 
drunk.  The  same  kinds  of  scoffing  are  heard  in 
modem  days  when  a  great  work  of  grace  is  go- 
ing on  anywhere.  There  are  always  some  who 
mock. 


2 


CHAPTER  III 

A  MULTITUDE   CONVEKTED 

Bead  Acts  11:32-47 

Everyone  had  a  theory  of  the  strange  tilings  that 
had  happened.  Some  accepted  the  events  as  di- 
vine manifestations.  Some  mocked  and  ridiculed. 
Some  said  the  disciples  had  been  drinking  wine 
too  freely.  Peter  spoke  to  the  throng  and  ex- 
plained the  meaning  of  the  wonderful  event.  He 
brushed  away  the  thought  that  the  disciples  were 
drunken,  by  reminding  them  of  the  early  hour. 
He  suggested  the  importance  of  the  matter  by 
saying  it  was  something  an  old  prophet  had  fore- 
told and  then  declared  that  it  was  the  work  of 
the  Messiah. 

Jesus  had  been  crucified  and  had  risen,  and 
*'he  hath  poured  forth  this,  which  ye  see  and 
hear.'^  Jesus  told  His  disciples  it  was  better 
He  should  go  away,  for  if  He  did  not  go  away,  the 
Comforter  would  not  come;  but  if  He  departed 
He  would  send  Him  unto  them.  It  seemed 
strange  to  the  disciples  that  anything  could  be 
better  to  them  than  the  staying  with  them  of  their 
Master.  But  now,  when  the  promise  had  been  ful- 
filled, they  began  to  understand  it.    If  Jesus  had 

J8 


ACTS  II :  32-47  19 

stayed  on  the  earth  with  His  disciples,  not  going 
to  His  cross,  there  would  have  been  no  atone- 
ment, no  Lamb  of  Grod  bearing  the  sin  of  the 
world.  There  would  have  been  no  resurrection 
with  its  glorious  victory  over  the  last  enemy. 
There  wiould  have  been  no  intercessor  in  heaven 
pleading  for  struggling  souls  in  this  world  and 
offering  evermore  the  blood  of  His  own  sacrifice 
for  sin.  There  would  have  been  no  Holy  Spirit 
coming  to  stay  with  believers  and  to  live  in  the 
heart  of  every  Christian.  Pentecost  made  it  plain 
that  it  was  indeed  better  Jesus  should  go  away. 

In  the  plainest,  clearest  way  Peter  declared 
the  full,  glorious  meaning  of  the  events  of  the  past 
seven  weeks  connected  with  Jesus  Christ.  "Let 
'all  the  house  of  Israel  therefore  know  assuredly, 
that  Grod  hath  made  him  both  Lord  and  Christ,  this 
Jesus  whom  ye  crucified.'^  The  Jews  had  killed 
their  Messiah.  This  would  seem  to  be  the  de- 
feating of  God^s  purpose  of  redemption.  Yet  that 
was  not  the  end.  Though  the  Son  of  God  was 
dead,  God's  plan  of  love  for  the  world  could  not 
fail.  Jesus  was  raised  up  and  exalted  to  be  Lord 
and  Christ.  The  Jewish  people  had  missed  their 
chance,  had  lost  their  Messiah,  but  Jesus  was  still 
tlie  Messiah  for  all  the  world.  God's  purpose  was 
not  suffered  to  fail.  The  blood  shed  upon  the 
cross  by  the  rejecters  of  Christ  became  the  very 
blood  of  eternal  redemption.  The  love  of  God  is 
greater  than  human  sin. 

Peter's  words  went  to  the  hearts  of  the  men 


20  A  MULTITUDE  CONVERTED 

to  whom  he  was  speaking.  The  Holy  Spirit  gave 
divine  power  to  the  words.  ''When  they  heard 
this,  they  were  pricked  in  their  heart."  It  was 
as  if  their  hearts  had  been  pierced  with  sharp  iron. 
Their  souls  were  filled  with  remorse.  They  saw 
now  what  they  had  done.  God  had  sent  His  Son 
to  be  their  Messiah,  and  although  they  had  been 
looking  and  praying  for  the  Messiah,  yet  they 
had  killed  Him.  No  wonder  they  felt  the  power 
of  remorse.  Jesus  comes  to  each  one  of  us  now 
personally,  as  He  came  to  the  Jews.  If  we  reject 
Him  as  our  personal  Saviour  we  crucify  Him 
afresh.  What  have  we  been  doing  with  Jesus 
since  we  first  heard  His  name?  People  sometimes 
say  they  are  not  great  sinners;  they  have  done 
(nothing  very  bad.  They  forget  that  the  greiatest 
of  all  sins  is  the  rejection  of  Jesus  Christ  as  Re- 
deemer and  Lord. 

The  people  asked  in  their  great  distress, 
"What  shall  we  do?"  They  saw  their  sin  and 
cried  out  to  know  what  they  must  do  to  be  saved. 
Could  they  undo  tlie  terrible  crime  they  had  com- 
mitted in  crucifying  their  Messiah?  They  were 
in  sore  perplexity,  and  they  did  just  what  they 
ought  to  have  done — they  asked  Christ's  apostles 
to  tell  them  what  thev  should  do.  If  we  have  been 
rejecting  Christ  we  should,  ask  the  same  question. 
We  cannot  change  our  past;  we  cannot  undo  our 
rejection.  A  soldier  lay  dying  in  a  hospital.  A 
chaplain  was  passing  through  the  ward,  and  seeing 
the  dying  man,  knelt  beside  him  and  asked  him, 


ACTS  II :  32-47  21 

''Can  I  do  anything  for  you?"  The  soldier 
opened  his  eyes  and  looked  up  with  despair  in 
his  face,  and  oried,  ''Oh,  sir,  can  you  undo?" 
Then  followed  a  sad  confession  of  a  wasted  life. 
The  young  man  had  not  only  ruined  his  own  life, 
but  had  also  been  a  tempter  to  many  another. 
''Oh,  sir,  can  you  undo  these  things  for  me?"  he 
cried  again.  No;  there  is  no  possible  undoing. 
What  is  done  cannot  be  undone.  But  although 
the  past  be  wasted,  the  future  remains.  God  is 
ever  giving  us  another  chance  to  be  saved.  We 
shall  see  in  Peter's  answer  what  we  must  do. 

Peter  put  his  answer  in  a.  few  plain,  clear 
words,  "Repent  ye,  and  be  baptized  everyone  of 
you  in  the  name  of  Jesus."  There  was  still  a 
way  of  salvation,  though  they  had  so  dealt  with 
their  Messiah.  Repentance  was  the  first  step. 
What  is  repentance?  It  is  more  than  dropping  a 
few  tears  over  a  wrong  life.  The  wrong  must 
be  given  up,  turned  away  from,  forsaken  forever. 
There  must  be  a  change  of  mind,  and  that  change 
of  mmd  mast  show  itself  in  the  conduct.  A  little 
way  out  01  Dayion,  a  young  man  met  an  old  gentle- 
man one  day  and  asked  him,  "How  far  is  it  to 
Dayton?"  "Twenty-five  thousand  miles,"  was 
the  answer,  "if  you  keep  on  as  you  are  going  now; 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  if  you  turn  square  about." 
If  am  impenitent  sinner,  facing  away  from  God, 
asks  how  far  it  is  to  heaven,  the  answer  is,  "Mil- 
lions and  millions  of  miles,  if  you  go  on  this  way ; 
just  two  steps  if  you  turn  right  about."     We 


22  A  MULTITUDE  CONVERTED 

never  can  be  saved  if  we  keep  our  sins.  We  must 
repent.  Baptism  implied  that  the  penitents  had 
received  Jesus  Christ  as  their  Saviour  and  ac- 
cepted Him  as  their  Lord.  If  we  would  be  saved 
we  must  do  the  same — give  up  our  sins  and  re- 
ceive Christ. 

The  penitents  were  baptized  unto  the  remission 
of  their  sins.  It  is  sin  that  is  the  trouble.  Our 
sins  have  destroyed  us.  But  there  is  one  way  of 
being  saved  from  our  sins.  It  is  through  Jesus 
Christ.  Remission  is  more  than  mere  forgiveness. 
It  means  sending  away,  dismissing  forever.  This 
tells  in  a  word  what  God  does  when  we  come  to 
Christ.  Merely  to  remit  the  penalty  would  be  a 
poor  blessing.  In  our  heart  the  old  sin  still  would 
live,  with  all  its  old  power.  The  only  way  really 
to  be  freed  from  our  sins  is  to  have  the  sins  them- 
selves cleansed  out  of  our  life.  God's  forgiveness 
is  complete;  He  remembers  our  sins  against  us 
no  more  forever.  Then  He  sends  His  Spirit  to 
live  in  us.  He  breaks  sin's  power  and  gives  us 
a  new  master.  Christ  says,  *'Take  my  yoke  upon 
you."  The  final  result  is  the  lifting  of  the  life 
up  to  glory.  One  summer  day  the  sun  found 
some  foul,  stagnant  water  lying  in  a  gutter.  It 
lifted  it  up  and  the  winds  bore  it  on  their  wings 
through  the  air,  and  on  a  moimtain  top,  far  off, 
it  settled  down  again  upon  the  earth,  no  more 
foul  and  stagnant,  but  cleansed  and  pure  now, 
white,  spotless  snow,  radiant  as  an  angel's  gar- 
ment.   So  Christ  takes  souls  stained  and  defiled 


ACTS  II :  32-47  23 

by  sin,  lifts  them  out  of  the  foul  corruption  of 
earth,  and  brings  them  at  last  to  the  mountains 
of  glory,  whiter  than  snow. 

Peter  assured  the  penitent  people  before  him 
that  they  need  not  despair.  There  was  hope  for 
them.  ''To  you  is  the  promise,  and  to  your  chil- 
dren," he  told  them.  Although  the  Jewish  people 
had  crucified  Christ,  the  offer  of  salvation  was 
still  made  to  them.  Even  hands  which  had  been 
stained  with  the  blood  of  the  Messiah  were  washed 
white  in  the  very  blood  which  they  themselves  had 
shed.  The  word  ''children"  in  this  verse  is  very 
suggestive.  God  never  leaves  out  the  children. 
He  has  a  warm  place  in  His  heart  for  them  in  His 
Church.  The  children  may  have  all  the  blessings 
of  Christ's  redemption.  Christian  parents  should 
look  with  happy  faith  upon  their  children  as  heirs 
to  God's  promises. 

The  gospel  was  not  for  the  Jews  only,  but  for 
all  the  world ;  it  was  for  ' '  all  that  are  afar  off. ' ' 
The  circle  widens  out,  as  when  a  stone  is  dropped 
in  the  center  of  a  lake  and  little  waves  roll  in 
circles  wider  and  wider,  until  they  splash  on  all 
the  shores,  even  out  on  the  farthest  bays  and 
creeks.  The  promise  was  given  first  to  the  com- 
pany that  stood  there  and  heard  Peter,  and  then 
it  reached  out  until  it  came  to  those  who  were 
afar  off — the  farthest  off  in  space,  living  at  the 
ends  of  the  earth ;  the  farthest  off  in  time,  down 
to  the  end  of  the  world;  the  farthest  off  in  char- 
acter, the  worst  and  the  guiltiest. 


34  A  MULTITUDE  CONVERTED 

Those  early  followers  of  Christ  "continued 
stedfastly  in  the  apostles'  teaching."  Continu- 
ance and  steadfastness  are  essential.  It  is  not 
enough  to  begin  a  Christian  life ;  one  must  go  on 
unto  the  end,  through  all  discouragement,  through 
all  temptation,  through  all  trial,  faithful  unto 
death.  These  first  believers  kept  themselves  in 
the  school  of  Christ,  coming  continually  to  the 
meetings  to  receive  insitruction  from  the  apostles. 
A  good  Christian  life  must  always  be  a  growing 
life.  There  must  be  growth  in  knowledge.  Young 
Christians  will  never  grow,  however,  if  they  feed 
only  upon  trashy  novels  and  flashy  story  papers. 
They  must  get  the  apostles'  teaching,  God's  good 
bread  for  souls.  They  kept  themselves  also  in 
the  fellowship  of  the  apostles.  We  would  say 
they  attached  themselves  to  the  Church  and  made 
Christian  people  their  friends.  They  went  regu- 
larly to  the  communion — the  breaking  of  bread. 
They  were  faithful  in  attending  the  meetings  for 
prayer.  Thus  they  took  up  the  new  life  with 
great  earnestness  and  faithfulness. 

At  once  love  awoke  in  their  hearts  for  fellow 
Christians.  Some  of  these  were  poor,  and  those 
who  were  rich  shared  their  plenty  with  them. 
''They  sold  their  possessions  .  .  .  and  parted 
them  to  all,  according  as  any  man  had  need." 
That  is,  they  were  large-hearted  and  generous. 
They  gave  to  Christ  not  only  themselves,  but  all 
that  they  had.  They  understood  that  the  strong 
must  help  the  weak,  that  the  rioh  must  help  the 


ACTS  11:32-47  26 

poor.  They  lived  together  as  one  family.  What- 
ever there  was  exceptional  about  the  condition  of 
tilings  in  the  early  Church,  the  principle  is  always 
the  same.  Those  who  have  blessings  must  share 
them  with  those  who  lack.  Those  who  are  strong 
must  help  those  who  are  weak.  Those  who  have 
abundance  must  share  their  plenty  with  those  who 
are  in  want. 

The  result  of  such  beautiful  Christian  living 
was  greatly  increased.  ' '  The  Lord  added  to  them 
day  by  day."  This  is  the  way  a  church  should 
grow.  The  Lord  added  those  who  were  added; 
only  the  Lord  can  truly  add  souls  to  His  Church. 
Men's  converts  do  not  amount  to  anything,  if 
that  is  all  they  are.  There  is  no  use  in  our  urging 
people  to  join  the  Church  until  they  are  first 
joined  to  Christ  and  have  been  renewed  by  His 
grace.  We  might  as  well  tie  green  branches  to 
a  bare  pole,  and  think  we  have  a  living  tree.  It 
is  interesting,  also,  to  notice  that  the  Lord  added 
*'day  by  day."  Converts  were  not  made  merely 
at  communion  seasons  or  at  revival  times;  day 
by  day  men  came  to  Christ  and  took  Him  as  their 
Master.  In  ever\'^  true,  living  church  there  should 
be  continuous  revival. 


CHAPTER  ly 

THE   LAME    MAN   HEALED 

Bead  Acts  III:  1-11 

It  could  not  have  been  more  than  a  few  weeks  or 
months  after  the  day  of  Pentecost.  The  apostles 
were  busy  teaching  the  three  thousand  converts. 
They  continued  to  attend  the  temple  services,  at 
least  the  daily  hours  of  prayer.  The  first  miracle 
was  wrought  in  connection  with  one  of  these  serv- 
ices. 

Peter  and  John  appear  here  together.  They 
were  close,  personal  friends.  They  were  comple- 
ments of  each  other — the  one  having  what  the 
other  lacked.  Peter  was  the  speaker.  John  was 
the  quiet  apostle.  It  was  at  the  hour  of  evening 
prayer  that  the  two  men  were  going  up  to  the 
temple.  They  were  going  to  offer  worship — 
they  had  no  thought,  so  far  as  we  know,  of  any 
special  ministry  of  their  own — ^the  miracle  they 
performed  was  a  piece  of  wayside  work. 

As  the  two  men  came  near  to  the  Beautiful 
Gate  a  beggar  was  lying  there.  There  probably 
were  other  beggars  there  who  had  come  or  had 
been  brought  by  their  friends  to  beg  from  the 
people.    "And  a  certain  man  that  was  lame  from 

26 


ACTS  111:1-11  27 

his  mother's  womb  wias  carried,  whom  they  laid 
daily  at  the  door  of  the  temple  which  is  called 
Bea,Titiful,  to  ask  alms  of  them  that  entered  into 
the  temple." 

As  this  man  had  been  brought  daily  to  this 
door,  probably  for  many  years,  there  is  little  doubt 
that  he  was  there  ofttimes  when  Jesus  passed  and 
repassed  that  same  door.  Probably  he  reached 
out  his  hand  many  times  to  Jesus,  as  He  was  pass- 
ing the  temple,  but  having  no  faith  to  ask  for 
healing  he  had  remained  unhealed  all  the  while. 
So,  year  after  year,  multitudes  of  people  lie  un- 
blessed and  unhealed  about  the  very  gates  of 
God's  sanotuarj^,  while  Christ  constantly  passes 
by  them.  It  is  not  enough  to  live  near  a  church, 
even  close  by  a  church  door.  One  may  be  lost 
even  in  such  a  favoured  position. 

This  first  apostolic  miracle  was  more  than  a 
miracle.  It  illustrated  the  work  of  the  Church. 
The  man  who  lay  at  the  gate  was  helpless — he 
had  been  carried  there.  The  unsaved  cannot  save 
themselves.  The  beggar  saw  Peter  and  John 
about  to  enter  the  temple  and  ''asked  to  receive 
an  alms. ' '  He  expected  to  receive  a  little  money 
from  them.  He  did  not  know  that  they  were  able 
to  do  something  far  better  for  him  than  to  put  a 
silver  coin  into  his  hand.  So,  continually,  in  our 
prajdng  we  ask  for  little  things,  bits  of  money, 
or  bread,  or  some  worldly  thing,  not  knowing,  or 
not  realizing,  that  there  are  infinitely  better  things 
which  we  might  get.    We  are  fooled  by  life's  ap- 


28  THE  LAME  MAN  HEALED 

pearances.  The  tilings  whicli  we  think  are  the 
most  important  things  are  the  least  important. 
Bunyan  tells  of  the  man  with  the  muck  rake,  gath- 
ering up  the  rubbish,  but  not  seeing  the  crowns 
which  hung  in  shining  beauty  close  above  him. 

Man}^  good  people  pay  no  heed  to  beggars. 
They  do  not  give  them  a  kindly  look  or  a  gracious 
word.  How  do  you  know  who  the  beggar  at  your 
door  may  be?  Of  William  Cullen  Bryant  it  was 
said  that  he  thought  of  ever^^  man  he  met  as  an 
angel  disguised,  and  treated  him  as  such.  Peter 
had  a  Idndly  heart.  This  man  did  not  ask  for 
healing.  The  miracle  was  not  wrought  in  answer 
to  his  prayer,  but  the  merciful  thought  had  its 
origin  in  the  heart  of  the  apostle.  So  Christ  looks 
upon  us,  sees  our  needs  and  pities  us  even  when 
we  ask  nothing  of  Him.  Notice,  too,  Peter's  con- 
descension and  humility.  He  was  not  too  fine  a 
gentleman  to  stop  and  have  a  little  talk  with  a 
lame  beggar.  He  spoke  gently  to  him.  He  did 
not  forget  that  under  those  rags  there  beat  a  hu- 
man heart  whose  feelings  could  be  hurt  by  rude- 
ness. It  is  certainly  worth  while  for  us  to  learn 
this  one  little  lesson  in  passing.  Even  if  we  are 
finely  dressed  we  need  not  brush  by  a  ragged  beg- 
gar or  poor  man  with  disdain.  We  do  not  know 
who  the  person  is.  We  do  not  know  that  wrapped 
lUp  in  that  heap  of  wretchedness  is  an  immortal 
Isoul,  which  is  capable  of  shining  in  heavenly  glory. 
|lt  may  be  one  of  God's  children  who  sits  there, 
.t  least  it  will  do  us  no  harm,  in  passing,  to  stop 


ACTS  111:1-11  29 

and  say  a  kind  word.  We  must  not  forget  that 
Jesus  said,  ^'Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of 
these  my  brethren,  even  these  least,  ye  did  it 
unto  me." 

We  may  study  the  wiay  Peter  showed  kindness 
to  the  begg'ar.  There  are  a  good  many  people 
who  cannot  give  money  to  the  needy,  but  they  need 
not  therefore  do  nothing.  "Silver  and  gold  have 
I  none;  but  what  I  have,  that  give  I  thee,"  said 
Peter.  He  was  a  poor  man.  He  had  left  all  to  fol- 
low Christ.  He  had  no  money  with  him  that  day 
to  give  to  any  beggar,  and  he  might  have  heaved 
a  sigh,  dropped  a  tear,  and  then  passed  on  to  his 
evening  prayers.  But  that  was  not  what  Peter 
did.  He  did  not  conclude  that  because  he  had  no 
money  with  him  therefore  he  could  not  do  any- 
thing for  the  poor  man.  He  would  give  what  he 
had  to  give.  But  money  is  not  the  only  thing 
people  need.  It  is  usually  the  poorest  alms  that  \ 
can  be  given.  Kind  words  are  better,  love  andl 
sympathy  are  finer.  So  far  as  we  know,  Jesusl 
never  gave  money  to  anyone,  and  yet  there  never 
was  such  another  giver  of  blessings  as  He  was. 
We  cannot  impart  the  same  large  measure  of  help 
that  Jesus  gave,  but  we  can  give  the  same  kind 
of  help.  There  is  not  one  of  us  who  cannot  give  to 
others  things  which  will  enrich  their  lives  far 
more  than  if  we  put  money  into  their  hands.  We 
can  give  a  cheering  word,  if  nothing  else,  to  some 
weary  one  in  the  way;  a  word  will  brighten  his 
heart  for  many  a  long  mile.     Courage  put  into 


80  THE  LAME  MAN  HEALED 

a  tired  heart,  sympatliy  into  a  sorrowing  heart, 
are  better  than  any  gift  of  gold.  None  of  ns  are 
too  poor  to  give  something  to  others.  If  we  can- 
not give  silver  or  gold  we  can  certainly  give  love 
and  sympathy,  which  are  better  thaoa  money. 

It  is  interesting  to  read  on  and  see  what  Peter 
did  for  this  man  to  whom  he  could  not  give 
money.  He  said,  *'In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Nazareth,  walk.  And  he  took  him  by  the 
right  hand,  and  raised  liim  up. ' '  Surely  this  was 
very  much  better  than  any  alms  Peter  could  have 
given  the  beggar.  If  he  had  given  him  money  it 
Would  have  helped  him  along  a  little  further  as  a 
beggar.  That  would  have  been  all.  But  when 
the  man  was  healed  he  did  not  need  to  be  helped 
any  more.  He  was  able  now  to  take  care  of  him- 
self. Was  not  that  a  far  better  way  to  aid  him 
than  if  he  had  left  him  still  helpless,  merely  giving 
him  temporary  relief? 

Note  the  twofold  help  Peter  gave  this  man. 
First,  he  spoke  the  word  which  kindled  hope  and 
faith,  and  led  to  the  man's  healing.  Then  he 
reached  out  his  own  strong  hand  to  help  the  man 
to  rise.  It  is  a  good  thing  to  lend  a  hand  when 
one  is  down  to  help  him  rise  again.  There  are 
many  about  us  who  need  the  helping  hand.  It  is 
mot  enough  to  preach  and  teach;  we  must  give 
sympathy,  love  and  help  to  those  who  are  lying 
helpless  in  their  sins.  Then  the  sorely  tempted 
and  those  also  who  have  fallen  need  a  hand  to  help 


ACTS  III :  1-11  31 

tliem  rise.  There  is  a  wofnclrous  power  m  the 
toucli  or  clasp  of  a  hnman  hand.  While  we  bid 
men  to  rise  up  and  walk  we  must  be  ready  always 
to  help  them. 

The  lame  man  instantly  responded.  **  Leaping 
up,  he  stood,  and  began  to  walk.^'  The  cure  was 
instantaneous  and  complete.  The  healing  was 
proved  by  his  rising  and  walking  and  leaping. 
We  must  prove  the  reality  of  our  conversion  by 
acts  of  spiritual  acti^dty.  Some  people  profess  to 
have  become  Christians  and  then  just  lie  where 
they  were,  inactive,  showing  no  evidence  of  spir- 
itual life.  They  have  mouths,  but  they  speak  not 
for  Christ ;  they  have  hands,  but  they  take  up  no 
work  for  Christ,  They  have  feet,  but  they  walk 
not  for  Christ.  Conversion  ought  to  send  the  life 
titogling  into  every  member.  Wlien  Christ  enters 
our  heart  we  will  walk  and  leap  and  praise  God. 

*'He  entered  with  them  into  the  temple.^'  He 
did  not  want  to  lose  his  friends  and  clung  to  them. 
Besides,  he  wished  to  make  confession  of  his  heal- 
ing before  men.  The  newly  converted  Christian 
should  at  once  join  Christ's  people  and  make  his 
friendships  and  companions  among  them.  This 
implies  open  confession  of  Christ,  and  that  is  a 
most  important  duty.  Christ  requires  it,  and  it 
is  needful  to  the  completeness  and  the  wholesome- 
ness  of  Christian  life.  It  implies  also  unison  with 
the  Church,  and  this  is  a  duty  of  great  moment. 

The  effect  of  this  miracle  on  the  people  was 


52  THE  LAME  MAN  HEALED 

very  great.  ''The  people  saw  him  walking  and 
praising  God:  .  .  .  and  they  were  filled  with 
wonder."  The  mere  sight  of  the  man  walking 
about — this  man  who  had  never  walked  before, 
whom  all  the  people  had  known  for  years  as  a 
beggar  at  the  gates — ^was  a  sermon  in  itself.  If 
he  had  sat  still  after  he  was  healed,  still  holding 
out  his  hand  and  asking  for  alms,  his  healing 
might  have  been  a  little  comfort  to  himself,  but 
it  would  not  have  been  worth  a  straw  for  testi- 
mony or  influence.  Those  who  have  been  healed 
by  Christ  ought  to  manifest  it.  To  know  of  such 
a  great  Physician  of  souls  and  not  tell  men  about 
it,  is  a  crime  against  nature.  Confessing  Christ 
and  speakitng  of  Him  will  bring  deeper  joy  to  our 
own'  hearts.  Besides,  it  m'akes  known  to  others  in 
similar  need  the  Healer  and  Friend  to  whom  they 
may  go  for  blessing.  We  should  rise  up  when 
Christ  has  blessed  us  in  any  way  and  let  people 
know  about  it — at  least  let  them  see  in  our  life 
what  He  has  done  for  us. 

''Why  fasten  ye  your  eyes  on  us,  as  though 
...  we  had  made  him  to  walk!"  The  people's 
first  thought  was  to  regard  the  apostles  as  won- 
derful men,  because  of  the  miracle  that  had  been 
wrought  through  them.  But  Peter  hastened  to 
turn  all  the  glory  of  the  miracle  to  Christ.  It  is 
a  mark  of  true  religion  that  we  seek  to  give  Christ 
the  honour  and  glory  of  whatever  good  we  do.  We 
are  apt  to  accept  compliments  and  gratitude  for 


ACTS  111:1-11  33- 

ourselves  when  we  have  been  blessed  and  used  in 
doing  good  to  others,  forgetting  that  to  Christ  be- 
longs the  honour  and  the  glory.  We  cannot  but  be 
pleased  to  have  Christ  do  good  through  us,  but 
we  need  to  watch  that  all  the  praise  and  the  honour 
shall  go  to  Him. 


8 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  TEIAIi  OF  PETER  AND  JOHN 

Read  Acts  IV :  1-31 

The  healing  of  the  lame  man  made  a  great  stir 
in  the  temple.  Peter  at  once  began  to  speak  to 
the  wondering  people,  explaining  the  miracle.  In 
doing  so  he  told  again  the  story  of  Jesus  Christ, 
who  had  been  rejected  by  the  rulers  and  crucified, 
but  whom  God  had  raised  up  and  glorified. 
Through  Him,  said  Peter,  is  this  man  made  strong 
and  well.  It  grieved  the  rulers  that  Peter  was 
proclaiming  Jesus  Christ  as  the  power  through 
which  the  lame  man  had  been  healed,  and  also  as 
the  Author  of  resurrection. 

While  Peter  was  thus  speaking,  there  came  a 
party  of  priests  and  Sadduoees  with  a  squad  of 
temple  police,  to  arrest  the  apostles,  whom  they 
put  in  prison  over  night.  This,  however,  did  not 
check  the  progress  of  the  gospel.  In  the  very 
next  i&entence  we  read,  ''But  many  of  them  that 
heard  the  word  believed."  The  rulers  had  cast 
the  apostles  into  prison,  but  they  could  not  put 
chains  upon  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  number  of  the 
converts   continually  increased  until   the  three 

84 


ACTS  IV :  1-31  .36 

th'ousand  of  the  day  of  Pentecost  had  become  five 
thousand. 

Always  opposition  has  helped  God's  cause. 
The  storm  that  sets  itself  to  put  out  the  flames 
only  fans  them  into  intenser  violence.  This  truth 
should  give  great  confidence  to  those  who  are 
called  to  suffer  persecution.  There  is  a  beatitude 
for  such — "Blessed  are  they  that  have  been  per- 
secuted for  righteousness'  sake:  for  theirs  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven." 

The  story  of  the  trial  of  the  apostles  vividly 
recalls  the  scenes  of  our  Lord's  trial,  a  few  weeks 
before.  The  place  was  the  same,  and  we  find  the 
same  names — Annas  and  Caiaphas,  for  example. 
The  rulers  imagined  that  they  could  compel  the 
apostles  to  submit  to  their  dictation.  How  farci- 
cal all  this  appeared  to  the  angels,  as  they  looked 
down  upon  it,  out  of  the  skies ! 

Peter  was  the  spokesman,  and  he  spoke  well. 
This  is  a  different  man  from  the  old  Peter  of 
former  days,  especially  the  Peter  of  the  night  of 
Christ's  betrayal,  when  he  lacked  courage  to  con- 
fess his  Lord,  and  quailed  before  the  taunting 
words  of  a  girl.  Now  he  stands  before  the  high- 
est tribunal  of  the  nation,  and  exhibits  a  courage 
which  makes  the  rulers  tremble.  It  was  because 
for  the  hour  of  need  the  Spirit  of  God  freshly 
filled  him.  It  was  not  Peter  that  spoke,  but  the 
Holy  Spirit  who  filled  him  and  spoke  in  him.  The 
Spirit  is  for  us  as  truly  as  He  was  for  the  apostles. 
He  is  ready  to  fill  us  with  His  own  life  whenever 


36  THE  TRIAL  OF  PETER  AND  JOHN 

we  have  any  work  to  do,  any  testimony  to  offer, 
or  any  trial  to  endure.  Let  us  claim  our  spiritual 
birthright. 

The  rulers  implied  that  the  apostles  had  used 
some  secret  art — m'agic  or  sorcery — in  healing  the 
lame  man.  They  had  demanded, ' '  By  what  power, 
or  in  what  name,  have  ye  done  this  ? ' '  intimating 
that  some  agency  other  than  divine  had  wrought 
the  cure.  Peter  was  not  angry — ^he  kept  his  tem- 
per and  spoke  calmly.  He  used  no  insulting 
Words.  Then  he  was  also  tactful.  He  referred 
to  ''a  good  deed  done  to  an  impotent  man,  by  what 
means  this  man  is  made  whole."  There  ought 
to  be  no  criticism  or  condemnation  of  a  good  deed 
done  to  a  lame  man,  restoring  him  to  strength. 
We  condemn  people  for  hurting  others,  not  for 
helping  them.  He  then  told  his  judges  at  once  the 
source  of  the  power  which  had  healed  the  man. 
''Be  it  known  unto  you  all."  Christianity  has 
nothing  to  hide.  It  has  no  secret  arts  by  which 
it  accomplishes  its  great  works.  It  uses  no  in- 
cantation, practices  no  tricks,  does  nothing  in  the 
dark.  It  wants  the  whole  world  to  know  just 
what  is  the  secret  of  its  power.  It  has  nothing 
to  fear  from  the  closest  and  most  critical  examina- 
tion of  its  methods.  This  is  not  the  case  with  the 
world's  religions.  They  make  everything  as  mys- 
terious as  possible.  They  dare  not  throw  open 
to  the  gaze  of  men  the  arts  and  practices  by  which 
they  claim  to  work.  One  of  the  proofs  of  the 
genuineness  of  Christianity  is  that  it  challenges 


ACTS  IV:  1-31  37 

the  inspection  of  the  world.  Its  secret  of  power 
is  an  open  secret.  It  has  nothing  to  keep  back. 
It  never  fears  to  submit  to  the  fullest  examination 
and  the  severest  tests.  It  possesses  an  abounding 
confidence. 

Peter  then  declared  boldly  that  it  was  ''in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Nazareth,  whom  ye  cruci- 
fied, whom  God  raised,"  that  the  m'an  had  been 
cured.  Why  did  he  add  the  words  about  the 
crucifixion  of  Jesus?  Why  did  he  not  prudently 
stop  with  the  word  Nazareth?  He  was  speaking 
now  to  the  very  men  who  had  condemned  Jesus, 
and  to  the  Sadducees  who  were  enraged  by  every 
reference  to  the  resurrection ;  why  did  he  not  re- 
frain from  using  these  offensive  words,  which 
threw  the  terrible  charge  right  in  their  faces? 
That  would  have  been  trimming  the  truth  down 
to  make  it  less  offensive,  cutting  off  the  very  part 
that  his  judges  disliked  to  hear.  It  would  not 
have  been  faithful  witnessing,  for  it  would  not 
have  told  his  hearers  of  their  sin  and  guilt,  nor 
would  it  have  proclaimed  the  power  of  God  in 
raising  Jesus  from  the  dead.  In  our  efforts  to  be 
courteous  and  polite,  "wise  as  serpents,"  and  to 
avoid  giving  offense,  let  us  be  sure  never  to  keep 
back  any  part  of  the  truth. 

Peter  further  declared  that  this  Jesus  was 
the  Messiah.  "He  is  the  stone  which  was  set  at 
nought  of  you  the  builders,  which  was  made  the 
head  of  the  corner."  They  had  rejected  Jesus 
as  unsuitable  to  be  their  Messiah,  but  God  had 


38     THE  TRIAL  OF  PETEE  AND  JOHN 

made  Him  the  Saviour  and  Lord  of  the  world. 
In  the  same  way  do  hmnan  and  divine  estimates 
differ  continually.  In  the  things  men  admire,  God 
sees  no  beauty,  and  in  the  things  which  men  de- 
spise, God  beholds  the  rarest  loveliness.  He  took 
for  the  foundation  of  His  heavenly  temple  a  stone 
which  the  human  builders  thought  unfit  to  be 
used  anywhere  in  the  wall,  and  He  is  building  the 
whole  temple  out  of  things  that  men  despise,  for 
the  saints  of  the  Lord  are  not  those  whom  this 
world  honours.  God  is  gathering  into  His  Church 
those  whom  earth  sets  aside,  and  then  its  glory  in 
the  end  will  outshine  all  the  splendours  of  this 
world. 

Peter  declared  also  to  the  rulers  that  there  is 
no  possibility  of  personal  salvation  in  any  other 
but  in  Jesus  Christ.  If  these  men  themselves, 
these  rulers,  ever  reached  heaven,  it  would  be  by 
the  way  of  the  cross  which  they  themselves  had 
set  up.  To  all  rejecters  the  same  is  true — ^if  they 
ever  are  saved  it  must  be  by  the  Christ  whom  they 
are  now  despising.     There  is  no  other  way. 

Two  facts  are  unanswerable.  One  was  the 
effect  of  Christ  upon  His  friends.  They  were  ''un- 
learned and  ignorant  men, ' '  men  who  had  not  had 
the  teaching  and  training  of  rabbis  and  scholars, 
and  yet  they  were  evidently  men  of  great  power. 
' '  They  took  knowledge  of  them,  that  they  had  been 
with  Jesus."  The  marks  of  Jesus  were  in  their 
lives.  They  had  been  impressed  by  His  influence. 
They  saw  it  in  their  very  faces.    There  was  some- 


ACTS  IV :  1-31  39 

thing  in  them  which  recalled  the  bearing  of  Jesus 
that  morning  when  He  was  on  His  trial,  and  then 
they  remembered  that  they  had  seen  them  with 
Him  at  that  time.  It  is  a  great  thing  when  we 
make  people  think  of  Christ  by  the  way  we  bear 
ourselves.  No  one  can  be  with  Jesus  as  a  com- 
panion, a  teacher,  a  friend,  and  not  show  it  in  his 
life.  It  was  said  of  Dr.  Babcock  that ' '  the  secret 
of  his  wondrous  influence  among  men  was  that  he 
made  God  so  attractive.  He  helped  men  to  fall  in 
love  with  Jesus  Christ." 

The  other  fact  which  they  could  not  answer  was 
the  man  himself.  There  he  stood,  healed — how? 
"Seeing  the  man  that  was  healed  standing  with 
them,  they  could  say  nothing  against  it."  They 
could  not  say  the  man  had  not  been  lame — every- 
body had  known  him  as  the  beggar  of  the  Beauti- 
ful Grate.  They  could  not  deny  that  he  had  been 
healed.  There  was  a  man  who  said  he  had  been 
able  to  refute  every  proof  offered  by  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  save  one — his  mother's  life.  There 
is  no  argument  in  proof  of  the  power  of  the  gos- 
pel equal  to  what  the  gospel  itself  has  done  in  the 
lands  into  which  it  has  gone.  Eegenerated  men 
and  women  are  unanswerable  proofs  of  the  re- 
generating power  of  Jesus  Christ. 


•CHAPTER  VI 

THE  SllSr  OF  LYING 

Bead  Acts  V:  1-11 

There  are  blemislies  on  the  fairest  Imman  beauty. 
The  best  man  has  his  faults  and  imperfections. 
The  holiest  periods  of  the  Church  have  their  de- 
fections and  dishonours.  The  history  of  the  apos- 
tolic days  ha;s  in  the  brightest  of  its  glory  this 
sad  story  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira.  The  spirit 
of  love  was  regnant  in  the  early  Church.  It  was 
a  true  brotherhood.  Whatever  anyone  had  he  was 
ready  to  share  with  those  who  lacked.  "Not  one 
of  them  said  that  aught  of  the  things  which  he 
possessed  was  his  own."  This  generosity  was 
voluntary — there  was  no  forced  communism.  But 
many  of  the  wealthier  Christians  sold  their  pos- 
sessions and  brought  the  money  to  the  apostles, 
to  be  used  by  them  in  helping  the  poor.  One 
of  these  generous  givers  is  named — Joseph  Barna- 
bas. Elsewhere  we  are  told  that  Barnabas  was 
a  good  man.  His  name  means  ''son  of  consola- 
tion," or  "son  of  exhortation."  Evidently  he 
was  one  of  those  men  who  have  a  genius  for 
helping  others.  He  had  learned  how  a  Christian 
man  should  use  his  money.    He  was  prompted  by 

40 


ACTS  V:  1-11  41 

love  for  Christ  and  for  the  poor  to  sell  a  piece 
of  land  and  to  lay  the  money  at  the  feet  of  the 
apostles,  to  be  used  in  helping  his  fellow  Chris- 
tians who  were  poor. 

The  closing  verses  of  chapter  four  and  the  be- 
ginning of  chapter  five  should  be  read  together. 
The  word  ''but"  makes  a  striking  contrast  be- 
tween what  goes  before  and  what  comes  after. 
One  man's  good  deeds  inspire  good  deeds  in 
others.  No  doubt  the  influence  of  the  generosity 
of  Barnabas  did  much  to  make  others  of  the  first 
Christians  liberal.  No  doubt,  too,  his  noble  act 
put  it  into  the  heart  of  Ananias  to  do  what  he 
did.  He  wanted  to  be  generous,  too.  The  people 
were  loud  in  their  praise  of  Barnabas  when  it 
was  known  that  he  had  made  his  gift  of  love. 
Perhaps  his  desire  to  have  the  commendation 
of  his  fellow  church  members  was  the  motive 
which  inspired  him.  Possibly,  at  first,  his  im- 
pulse was  right  and  his  intention  likewise.  He 
may  have  meant  to  bring  all  the  money  to  the 
apostles.  It  often  happens  that  under  a  stirring 
appeal  a  man  resolves  to  give  a  certain  large 
sum  to  some  good  cause.  But  as  he  thinks  over 
the  matter  his  enthusiasm  wanes,  his  willingness 
to  make  the  self-sacrifice  diminishes,  and  he  ends 
by  giving  nothing  at  all,  or  only  a  small  part  of 
what  he  intended  to  give.  This  may  have  been 
the  case  with  Ananias.  At  least  we  know  that, 
having  sold  the  property,  he  brought  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  proceeds,  which,  however,  he  repre- 


42  THE  SIN  OF  LYING 

sented  as  all  lie  had  received — secretly  keeping 
back  a  part,  while  getting  credit  for  the  giving 
of  all. 

Peter  made  it  very  plain  that  though  Satan 
had  put  the  thought  into  his  heart,  Ananias  was 
yet  guilty.  ''How  is  it  that  thou  hast  conceived 
this  thing  in  thy  heart?' '  He  first  said  that  Satan 
had  put  it  into  the  heart  of  Ananias,  but  he  re- 
minded him  that  he  himself  had  first  conceived 
the  thought,  allowed  the  thought  to  be  bom  in 
his  heart.  Satan  may  be  the  author  of  the  evil 
thoughts  which  are  whispered  in  our  ears,  but 
we  make  them  our  own  when  we  accept  them 
and  adopt  them.  Satan  does  not  work  them  out — 
we  do  that.  We  cannot,  then,  throw  off  the  re- 
sponsibility for  our  sins  by  blaming  the  tempter 
with  them.  They  are  our  own  when  we  com- 
mit them,  no  matter  who  first  tempted  us  with 
them.  We  are  not  responsible  for  temptations, 
for  suggestions  of  evil, — Jesus  was  tempted  in 
all  points;  suggestions  of  evil  were  made  to  Him, 
— but  we  are  responsible  whenever  we  accept  evil 
suggestions  and  let  them  into  our  heart.  We  must 
resist  every  temptation,  for  no  matter  how  fiercely 
the  tempter  plies  us,  if  we  yield,  the  guilt  and 
the  penalty  will  be  ours.  Satan  will  never  help 
us  to  bear  the  consequences  of  our  sins. 

Peter  reminded  Ananias  further  of  the  ter- 
rible nature  of  his  sin.  His  falsehood  was  not 
merely  one  that  had  been  made  to  men.  "Thou 
hast  not  lied  unto  men,  but  unto  God. '  ^    Is  there 


ACTS  V:  1-11  43 

any  lying  unto  God  in  these  modem  days?  Was 
this  sin  of  Ananias'  one  that  can  be  repeated  in 
Christian  service  and  worship  in  our  day?  Have 
we  never  come  perilously  near  a  like  sin?  When 
we  unite  mth  the  Church  we  profess,  both  in  act 
and  in  words,  to  dedicate  to  G-od  all  that  we  are 
and  all  that  we  have.  Do  we  keep  back  no  part? 
It  is  told  of  some  old  Saxon  warrior  who  came 
to  unite  with  the  Church,  that  when  he  was  im- 
mersed he  held  up  his  right  hand  out  of  the  water. 
When  he  was  expostulated  with,  and  told  that  his 
whole  body  must  be  buried,  he  replied  that  he 
would  keep  that  hand  to  himself  for  battle  with 
his  enemies.  He  could  not  give  up  this  part  of 
his  old  life.  There  are  too  many  people  who  re- 
serve some  part  of  their  life  undevoted  when 
they  make  their  consecration  to  God.  We  sing 
hymns  not  to  men,  but  to  God,  and  yet  we  fre- 
quently come  upon  lines  which  declare  our  fullest 
love  and  our  unreserved  devotion  to  Christ  and 
that  promise  the  most  unbounded  service.  Do 
we  really  mean  all  we  say  when  we  sing  such 
hymns?  Do  we  not  sometimes  profess  in  our 
prayers  what  we  fail  to  make  good  in  our  lives? 
Are  not  these  things  of  the  nature  of  lying  to 
God?  Men  boast  of  their  character  for  veracity, 
that  their  word  is  never  questioned  by  their  fellow 
men.  Are  they  as  careful  to  keep  their  word 
with  God,  to  fulfill  every  promise  and  vow  to 
Him?  It  is  a  great  sin  to  lie  to  men.  No  sin 
is  condemned  in  the  Bible  more  persistently  than 


44  THE  SIN  OF  LYING 

falsehood.  Liars  must  be  shut  out  of  heaven  ^s 
gates  and  shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  that 
humeth  with  fire  and  brimstone.  But  lying  unto 
Grod  is  far  w^orse  than  lying  unto  men. 

Quickly  came  the  punishment.  ' '  Ananias  hear- 
ing these  words  fell  down  and  gave  up  the  ghost. '^ 
His  death  was  not  Peter's  act,  but  God's.  It  wais 
not  merely  summary  punishment  for  his  pre- 
sumptuous and  daring  sin,  but  being  visited  thus 
at  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  Church,  it 
became  a  beacon,  marking  a  fearful  peril  and 
sending  its  warning  down  the  after  ages.  Thus 
God  branded  hypocrisy  in  the  Church  as  among 
the  most  fearful  of  all  sins.  We  should  not  for- 
get that  our  Lord  spoke  no  words  so  bitter  and 
scathing  as  the  words  He  spoke  against  hypocrisy. 
The  lesson  should  be  heeded  by  everyone.  Such 
pen'alty  may  not  be  visited  now  upon  those  who 
lie  to  the  Holy  Spirit  as  Ananias  did.  They 
may  live  on  and  die  in  quiet.  But  the  guilt  is 
nonei  the  less  because  the  judgment  is  not  visited 
at  once.  There  is  a  day  coming  when  every  such 
sin  will  receive  its  just  recompense  of  reward. 

Sapphira  kept  herself  in  the  background,  pos- 
sibly intentionally.  She  was  not  present  when 
Ananias  brought  in  the  money.  Neither  had  she 
learned  of  his  terrible  death.  Three  hours  after- 
wards, not  knowing  what  had  happened,  Sapphira 
came  to  the  meeting.  Peter  then  asked  her  about 
the  sale  of  the  property.  *^Tell  me  whether  ye 
sold  the  land  for  so  much."    She  had  an  oppor- 


ACTS  V:  1-11  45 

tunity  to  repent  and  confess  her  sin.  But  she 
did  not  do  it.  She  answered, ' '  Yea,  for  so  much, '  * 
naming  as  price  the  amount  which  had  been  given 
to  the  apostles.  Then  swiftly  followed  the  ques- 
tion, '^How  is  it  that  ye  have  agreed  together 
to  try  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord?"  It  was  one  of 
the  worst  exaggerations  of  the  guilt  of  this  deed 
that  the  two  had  deliberately  agreed  together  to 
commit  it — two  persons,  especially,  so  closely  and 
sacredly  united  as  husband  and  wife.  This  shows 
that  it  was  not  a  hasty  sin,  wrought  under  sud- 
den and  powerful  temptation,  but  a  sin  delib- 
erated over,  calmly  planned,  and  boldly  executed. 
Many  people  will  do  things  secretly  which  they 
would  never  do  if  they  were  first  to  put  their 
thought  and  purpose  into  words  for  any  ear  to 
hear.  If  men  who  commit  evil  deeds  would  al- 
ways talk  to  their  wives  about  them  first,  fewer 
crimes  would  stain  their  hands.  Hearts  are  very 
hard  when  two  persons  conspire  together  to  do 
any  wicked  thing. 

The  effect  of  this  terrible  occurrence  upon 
the  people  was  awe  and  dread.  ''Great  fear 
came  upon  the  whole  church,  and  upon  all  that 
heard  these  things."  Such  examples  of  divine 
judgment  should  deter  others  from  like  sin. 
Though  G-od  may  not  punish  hypocrisy  in  every 
case  by  instant  death,  yet  the  penalty  will  be  no 
less  terrible.  We  all  should  be  afraid  of  sin. 
We  should  be  afraid  also  of  every  approach  to 
sin,  eveiy  smallest  step  toward  it,  for  the  evil 


46  THE  SIN  OF  LYING 

that  seems  little  at  first  grows  at  last  into  a  power 
which  binds  the  soul  fast  forever.  One  day  when 
the  tide  was  out,  a  man  went  out  to  gather  sea 
plants  on  the  rocks,  and  in  stepping  from  ledge 
to  ledge  his  foot  slipped  down  and  became  jammed 
in  a  crevice.  He  attempted  to  pull  it  out,  but 
could  not.  He  cried  aloud,  he  shrieked,  he  prayed, 
but  all  in  vain — no  one  heard  him.  So  the  tide 
came  rolling  in,  and  rose  up  higher  and  higher 
until  it  rolled  over  him  and  drowned  his  last 
gurgling  cry  in  its  remorseless  waters.  So  it  is 
that  sin  clutches  men.  Even  on©  sin,  one  secret 
sin,  one  evil  habit,  may  hold  the  soul  that  in- 
dulges it  until  the  floods  of  judgment  come  and 
roll  over  it,  engulfing  it  in  etcimal  destruction. 

It  was  thus  with  Ananias  and  Sapphira.  They 
indulged  the  sin  of  covetousness  and  love  of  ap- 
probation, until  their  souls  were  caught  and  over- 
whelmed. It  is  always  perilous  to  commit  even 
one  sin — ^that  may  be  the  one  that  will  bring 
judgment. 

One  of  the  great  lessons  to  be  learned  from 
this  incident  is  that  we  cannot  possibly  deceive 
God.  We  talk  about  secret  sins,  as  if  any  sin 
were  secret  when  all  heaven  sees  it,  when  God 
beholds  it  and  the  angels  witness  it.  Sometime 
exposure  will  come. 

There  is  a  story  of  a  king  who  had  been  van- 
quished in  war.  His  conqueror  offered  terms 
which  were  satisfactory  in  every  respect  save  one 
— they  required  him  to  do  public  homage  to  his 


ACTS  V :  1-11  47 

victor.  That,  however,  was  at  length  so  far  modi- 
fied that  he  was  to  be  allowed  to  render  his  homage 
in  the  tent  of  his  rival.  But  when  the  hour  came, 
and  the  captive  was  in  the  very  act  of  doing 
homage,  his  conqueror,  by  some  machinery  which 
he  had  prepared,  suddenly  stripped  off  the  canvas 
covering,  and  the  men  of  both  armies  saw  the 
king  on  his  knees  before  his  conqueror.  If  we 
allow  sinful  ambition  or  evil  appetites  to  over- 
master us,  and  think  we  can  save  ourselves  from 
humiliation  by  doing  homage  to  it  under  the 
secrecy  of  a  curtained  tent,  we  may  be  sure  that 
when  we  are  in  the  very  act  of  confessing  our 
allegiance  to  it,  the  Lord  will  throw  down  the 
covering  and  unveil  our  degradation  before  the 
eyes  of  angels  and  men. 


CHAPTER  Vn 

THE  APOSTLES  IMPRISONED 

Read  Acts  V:  17-32 

The  sin  of  Ananias  and  Sappliira  and  the  swift 
judgment  that  followed  did  not  check  the  prog- 
ress of  the  Church.  ''By  the  hands  of  the  apostles 
were  many  signs  and  wonders  wrought.  .  .  . 
They  even  carried  out  the  sick  into  the  streets, 
and  laid  them  on  beds  and  couches,  that,  as  Peter 
came  by,  at  the  least  his  shadow  might  overshadow 
some  one  of  them."  Every  one  of  us  casts  a 
shadow  of  influence  on  others  wherever  he  goes. 
But  the  bitterness  of  the  rulers  was  not  al- 
layed by  the  judgment.  They  grew  more  and 
more  fierce.  The  narrative  goes  on:  "The  high 
priest  rose  up,  and  all  they  that  were  with  him 
.  .  .  and  they  were  filled  with  jealousy."  The 
word  ''jealousy"  gives  us  the  key  to  this  whole 
incident.  The  apostles  were  received  with  favour 
by  the  people.  Multitudes  were  thronging  about 
them  with  their  sick,  brought  to  be  healed.  It 
was  the  wonderful  success  of  the  gospel  that  so 
enraged  the  high  priest  and  his  party.  There 
are  some  persons  who  cannot  bear  to  see  other 
pers'ons  succeed  or  to  hear  other  people  praised. 

48 


ACTS  V:  17-32  49 

Even  in  churclies  are  sometimes  found  those  who 
are  embittered  and  aroused  to  jealousy  by  the 
prosperity  of  other  churches.  Instead  of  re- 
joicing that  souls  are  saved,  that  the  poor  are 
helped,  that  evil  spirits  are  cast  out,  that  good  is 
done,  they  criticize,  talk  bitterly,  and  oppose  the 
efforts  which  are  so  manifestly  of  Grod.  A  godly 
Christian  minister  put  it  down  at  the  end  of  a 
year,  as  one  of  the  year's  lessons,  that  he  had 
learned  to  rejoice  in  the  prosperity  of  others. 
No  lesson  is  harder  to  learn,  and  none  is  more 
beautiful  in  life.  We  are  all  too  apt  to  be  jealous 
of  those  who  are  more  honoured  in  life  and  work 
than  ourselves. 

The  rulers  had  not  yet  learned  that  walls  do 
not  make  a  secure  prison  for  Christ's  friends. 
*'They  .  .  .  laid  hands  on  the  apostles,  and 
put  them  in  public  ward.  But  an  angel  of  the 
Lord  by  night  opened  the  prison  doors,  and 
brought  them  'out.'*  There  is  no  use  trying  to 
fight  against  God.  He  who  sits  in  heaven  laughs 
when  rulers  take  counsel  against  His  anointed. 
Joseph's  brothers  thought  they  had  got  the  boy 
out  of  the  way  when  they  had  sold  him  as  a 
slave,  but  the  Lord  only  laughed  at  their  plot 
and  took  him  into  His  own  hands,  making  a 
mighty  man  of  him.  The  princes  chuckled 
when  they  got  Daniel  into  the  lion's  den,  but 
the  laugh  was  turned  when  he  came  out  unhurt 
and  they  themselves  were  cast  to  the  hungry 
beasts.  There  was  fiendish  glee  in  certain  quar- 
4 


50         THE  APOSTLES  IMPRISONED 

ters  when  the  three  Hebrew  youths  weire  cast 
into  a  fiery  furnace.  Their  stiff  kneas  would  be 
limbered  now.  But  that  laugh  was  turned,  too, 
before  the  end  came.  Haman  chuckled  when  he 
got  the  gallows  built  for  Mordecai.  He  would 
soon  be  rid  of  the  old  Jew  who  had  been  in  his 
way  so  long.  But  he  fell  into  his  own  trap.  The 
rulers  crucified  Jesus  and  sealed  the  stone  and 
set  a  guard  about  His  grave.  But  they  only 
brought  derision  upon  themselves,  while  by  their 
act  they  exalted  Jesus  to  a  place  of  highest  honour 
and  glory.  So  here,  the  rulers  cast  the  apostles 
into  prison,  bolted  the  doors,  and  set  their  guards, 
but  an  angel  came  quietly  by  night,  took  the 
prisoners  out,  and  left  the  keepers  standing  guard 
over  an  empty  prison.  Wicked  men  do  not  have 
all  things  their  way  in  this  world.  There  is  a 
God  who  is  just  and  true,  who  keeps  His  hand 
upon  all  the  affairs  of  earth,  who  takes  care  of 
His  own  and  guards  them  as  the  apple  of  His 
eye.  This  is  one  of  the  most  precious  truths  of 
the  Bible  for  the  suffering  and  imperiled  servants 
of  God.  They  are  absolutely  safe  in  the  hands  of 
God. 

The  angel  who  brought  the  apostles  out  of 
their  prison  had  a  message  and  a  commission  for 
them :  * '  Go  ye,  and  stand  and  speak  in  the  temple 
to  the  people  all  the  words  of  this  Life."  The 
angel  did  not  tell  the  apostles  to  flee  away  and 
hide  from  the  rulers.  That  is  what  escaping 
prisoners  usually  do.     But  these  men  were  set 


ACTS  V :  17-32  61 

free,  not  to  go  away  from  danger,  but  to  con- 
tinue their  work.  Then,  they  were  not  to  go  and 
talk  about  their  trials  and  hardships,  to  excite 
sympathy  among  the  people.  They  were  not  to 
say  a  word  about  themselves  at  all,  but  were  to 
declare  the  words  of  ''this  Life,"  eternal  life, 
the  way  of  salvation.  They  were  not  to  go  and 
speak  in  quiet  places,  away  from  danger,  but 
were  to  stand  in  the  temple,  the  most  public 
place  in  all  the  city.  They  were  to  speak  to  the 
people — that  is,  to  all  the  people,  poor  as  well 
as  rich,  ignorant  as  well  as  learned.  It  is  a  sug- 
gestive name  by  which  the  gospel  is  here  called — 
"Life" — this  Life.  Jesus  Christ  came  that  we 
might  have  life  and  that  we  might  have  it  abun- 
dantly. The  apostles  were  prompt  and  eager  to 
obey  the  angel's  bidding.  They  hastened  to  the 
temple  about  daybreak  and  began  to  teach. 

The  high  priest  did  not  know  what  his  pris- 
oners were  doing.  Full  of  rage,  he  was  eager  to 
have  them  punished,  and  called  a  full  meeting  of 
the  court,  and  sent  officers  to  bring  the  apostles 
from  the  prison.  ''But  the  officers  ...  re- 
turned, and  told,  saying,  The  prison-house  we 
found  shut  in  all  safety,  and  the  keepers  stand- 
ing at  the  doors:  but  when  we  had  opened, 
we  found  no  man  within."  The  high  priest 
was  sure  of  his  victims.  He  had  them  safely 
locked  in  the  guardhouse.  It  was  a  startling 
surprise  when  he  learned  that  the  prison  was 
empty.    There  is  an  old  Bible  word  which  says, 


62         THE  APOSTLES  IMPRISONED 

*'Tli6  Lord  knoweth  how  to  deliver  the  godly." 
There  is  a  promise  also  which  assures  us  that 
'^God  is  faithful,  who  will  not  suffer  you  to  be 
tempted  above  that  ye  are  able;  but  will  with  the 
temptation  make  also  the  way  of  escape,  that 
ye  may  be  able  to  endure  it."  Satan  is  very 
shrewd  and  cunning,  and  by  long  practice  has 
learned  to  do  his  work  well.  But  God  is  stronger 
and  wiser  than  Satan,  and  knows  how  to  deliver 
His  own  out  of  Satan's  hands. 

At  length  the  apostles  stood  before  the  court 
and  were  accused  of  having  disobeyed  the  com- 
mand to  speak  no  more  in  the  name  of  Jesus.  To 
this  Peter  answered,  ''We  must  obey  God  rather 
than  men."  This  should  be  the  motto  and  life 
principle  of  every  one  of  us.  This  has  been  the 
martyr's  word  in  all  Christian  centuries.  Bun- 
yan,  when  condemned  to  three  months'  imprison- 
ment for  preaching  the  gospel,  and  told  that  if 
he  did  not  promise  to  abstain  he  would  be  ban- 
ished, nobly  replied :  "I  am  at  a  point  with  you. 
If  I  were  out  of  prison  again  to-day,  I  would 
preach  the  gospel  again  to-morrow,  by  the  help 
of  God. ' '  Not  many  of  us  will  be  called  to  assert 
the  principle  in  such  circumstances  of  peril;  but 
in  life's  ordinary  business,  in  its  common  affairs, 
in  school,  at  home,  at  play,  we  shall  every  day 
have  opportunities  to  follow  conscience,  to  do 
what  God  commands  without  being  swerved  from 
duty  by  what  men  say.  It  would  be  very  fine 
to  do  some  such  heroic  thing  as  the  apostles  did 


ACTS  V:  17-32  63 

here,  but  it  is  just  as  fine  in  God's  sight  to  live 
faithfully  and  loyally  in  the  midst  of  thei  count- 
less little  temptations  of  the  most  commonplace 
life. 

"Him  did  God  exalt  with  his  right  hand  to  be 
a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  to  give  repentance  to 
Israel,  and  remission  of  sins."  Here  wei  have 
the  whole  gospel.  Jesus  was  the  Messiah  of  God. 
He  was  rejected  and  killed  by  those  He  had  come 
to  deliver  and  save.  But  God  raised  Him  up 
and  exalted  Him  to  the  throne  of  glory.  There 
He  is  not  only  King  of  kings,  but  the  Saviour 
of  all  who  will  believe  on  Him.  The  two  words, 
"repentance"  and  "remission,"  are  full  of  mean- 
ing. We  are  not  saved  merely  from  sin's  power, 
but  from  sin  itself.  That  is,  we  are  pledged 
to  give  up  our  sin.  Eepentance  means  this.  Then 
remission  means  more  than  merely  wiping  out 
the  penalty;  it  means  also  the  putting  away  of 
the  sins  themselves. 


CHAPTER  Vm 

STEPHEN  THE  FHIST  MAETTB 

Read  Acts  VI:  1-8;  VII:  54  to  VIII:  2 

Stephen  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  char- 
acters in  the  New  Testament.  His  story  is  short, 
but  intense.  His  work  belongs  to  a  few  days, 
and  he  makes  but  one  speech,  but  his  influence 
belongs  to  all  after  time.  He  was  the  first  deacon 
and  the  first  Christian  martyr. 

Stephen's  fiery  eloquence  touched  many  hearts, 
but  it  also  aroused  the  members  of  the  Jewish 
synagogues,  who  set  themselves  against  him. 
We  must  not  be  surprised  if  our  efforts  to  do 
good  awaken  opposition.  The  more  we  try  to 
honour  Christ  and  build  up  His  kingdom,  the  more 
opposition  we  shall  encounter.  So  long  as  we  keep 
quiet  about  people's  sins  and  connive  at  their 
wrongdoings,  they  may  not  seriously  oppose  us. 
But  when  we  assault  the  evil  we  see  in  them 
and  openly  condemn  it,  we  shall  certainly  stir  up 
enmity  and  antagonism  and  bring  upon  ourselves 
opposition  and  possibly  persecution. 

Stephen's  opponents  were  no  match  for  him 
in  argument.  ''They  were  not  able  to  withstand 
the  wisdom  and  the  Spirit  by  which  he  spake." 

64 


ACTS  VI :  1-8 ;  VII :  54  to  VHI :  2  65 

It  was  not  Stephen  with  whom  they  had  to  con- 
tend; there  was  an  unseen  One  beside  him  all 
the  while  who  helped  him.  The  Spirit  in  Stephen 
whom  his  opponents  could  not  resist  was  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Stephen  was  an  inspired  man  when  he 
stood  before  his  opponents  and  declared  to  them 
the  words  of  God.  He  was  filled  with  God,  as 
were  the  apostles  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  If  we 
go  out  in  Christ's  name  to  speak  for  Him,  there 
will  always  be  One  with  us  whom  no  man  can 
withstand.  If  only  we  remembered  this,  it  would 
make  us  brave,  resistless,  in  speaking  the  truth. 

False  witnesses  were  brought  to  testify  against 
Stephen,  to  try  to  convict  him,  as  the  rulers  had 
tried  to  convict  Jesus.  False  witnesses  are  con- 
tinually testifying  against  Christianity,  in  the 
effort  to  prove  that  it  is  not  a  divine  religion. 
The  world  is  full  of  books  which  seek  to  cast 
doubts  upon  divine  revelation.  In  all  life,  too, 
there  is  a  disposition  to  bear  false  witness.  Repu- 
tations are  made  and  unmade  in  certain  drawing 
rooms. 

In  the  council  before  which  Stephen  was  stand- 
ing there  was  intense  bitterness.  The  faces  of 
the  men  grew  dark  with  rage  as  they  looked  upon 
him  and  heard  his  words,  which  they  could  not 
answer.  They  wel-e  little  like  honourable  judges 
sitting  in  a  court  of  justice'.  Their  hearts  were 
full  of  rage  and  fury.  In  contrast  with  all  this, 
Stephen  himself  was  calm  and  quiet.  The  peace 
of  God  was  in  his  heart.    He  was  sustained  and 


66       STEPHEN  THE  FIRST  MAETYR 

strengthened  by  the  trust  which  nothing  could 
disturb.  The  record  says,  ''All  that  sat  in  the 
council,  fastening  their  eyes  on  him,  saw  his  face 
as  it  had  been  the  face  of  an  angel."  What 
is  the  face  of  an  angel  like?  "We  cannot  tell, 
but  we  know  that  those  who  live  in  God's  pres- 
ence', in  the  light  of  God's  love,  must  have  shining 
faces.  No  doubt  Stephen's  face  shone.  The 
secret  of  the  shining  was  in  his  heart.  The  peace 
of  God  was  there,  and  even  amid  the  excitements 
about  him,  with  enraged  enemies  glowering  upon 
him,  he  had  no  fear,  but  was  kept  in  perfect  quiet. 
An  angel's  face  must  be  gentle  and  loving,  for 
angels  never  know  the  feeling  of  anger  or  bitter- 
ness or  hate — and  we  know  that  Stephen's  heart 
was  full  of  love.  There  was  no  unforgiveness 
in  Stephen — he  had  learned  from  his  Master  the 
lesson  of  patience  under  injustice  or  wrong — to 
make  dark  lines  upon  his  countenance.  An  an- 
gel's face  must  have  marks  of  strength  in  it. 
Stephen  was  strong.  Even  with  all  the  people 
against  him,  he  had  no  fear.  He  was  strong  in 
God. 

The  contrast  between  the  members  of  the  San- 
hedrin  and  Stephen  is  most  striking.  His  quiet- 
ness and  sweetness  enraged  them  the  more. 
''They  were  cut  to  the  heart,  and  they  gnashed 
on  him  with  their  teeth."  They  became  like  in- 
furiated wild  beasts  as  they  listened  to  Stephen's 
words.  But  while  the  rulers  were  so  furious, 
Stephen  was  calm  and  full  of  peace.     He  had 


ACTS  VI :  1-8 ;  VII :  54  to  Vni :  2  57 

found  refuge  from  the  strife  of  tongues  in  the 
presence  of  God.'  The  secret  is  given  in  the  words, 
''full  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  When  God  is  in  a 
man,  filling  him,  there  is  no  room  in  him  for  fear 
or  anger,  or  for  any  earthly  passion. 

Stephen  ''looked  up  stedfastly  into  heaven." 
That  was  well.  If  he  had  not  looked  up  he 
would  not  have  seen  the  vision  of  glory  which 
he  now  beheld.  If  he  had  looked  down,  he 
would  have  seen  danger  and  would  have  been 
afraid.  He  looked  up  and  saw  not  the  hu- 
man rage  and  fury,  but  the  sweet  peace  of 
heaven  above  him.  Like  Moses,  "he  endured, 
as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible. ' '  We  should  train 
our  eyes  to  look  upward,  heavenward,  Godward, 
for  there  are  our  blessings,  our  goal,  our  home, 
angels,  God  Himself,  and  all  fair  and  beautiful 
things. 

The  members  of  the  Sanhedrin  lost  all  self- 
control,  all  dignity,  and  in  their  rage  became  an 
ungovemed  mob.  They  cried  out  with  a  loud 
voice,  stopped  their  ears,  and,  rushing  upon 
Stephen,  dragged  him  out  of  the  court  room, 
through  the  gate,  out  of  the  city,  and  stoned  him. 
Thus  the  eloquent  voice  was  hushed,  so  that  no 
more  could  it  be  heard  on  the  earth.  His  life, 
cut  off  so  suddenly,  so  violently,  when  only  be- 
ginning its  usefulness,  seems  a  failure.  But  it 
was  not  a  failure.  Some  one  says  that  Stephen's 
mission  in  this  world  was  to  deliver  only  one 
speech  of  half  an  hour.     But  if  his  words  had 


68       STEPHEN  THE  FIEST  MARTYE 

reached  or  impressed  no  other  life,  they  fell  upon 
the  ears  of  Saul,  the  persecutor,  and  he  never 
forgot  them.  Stephen  died,  and  Saul  was  con- 
verted. Stephen's  preaching  was  stopped,  but 
Saul  was  called  to  take  up  his  unfinished  work. 
We  owe  St.  Paul  to  Stephen's  martyrdom. 

Stephen's  dying  prayers  were  like  his  Mas- 
ter's. He  prayed  first,  "Lord  Jesus,  receive  my 
spirit."  To  Stephen,  dying  was  only  breathing 
out  his  soul  into  the  hands  of  Jesus  Christ.  He 
knew  it  was  not  death,  but  life,  that  was  before 
him.  His  body  was  being  mangled  and  broken, 
but  his  spirit,  his  real  self,  could  not  be  harmed. 
Beyond  the  strange  mystery  Jesus  waits  to  re- 
ceive the  departing  spirit.  Death  is  only  a  gate- 
way through  which  the  soul  passes,  and  then  life 
and  glory  burst  upon  the  vision  of  the  emanci- 
pated spirit. 

Stephen's  other  prayer  was  also  like  his  Mas- 
ter's. Jesus  prayed  for  His  murderers,  "Father, 
forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do." 
Stephen,  with  the  same  spirit  of  forgiveness, 
pleaded  for  his  murderers,  "Lord,  lay  not  this 
sin  to  their  charge."  It  is  the  old  lesson  of  love 
for  enemies  taught  over  again. 

Very  beautiful  is  the  picture  of  the  end  as 
given  here:  "When  he  had  said  this,  he  fell 
asleep."  Sleep  is  death's  new,  sweet  name. 
What  a  picture  of  peace  the  word  suggests,  right 
here  in  the  heart  and  fury  of  the  mob!  In  the 
midst  of  all  the  wild  scene  Stephen  fell  asleep. 


ACTS  VI :  1-8 ;  VII :  54  to  VIII :  2  59 

We  think  of  a  tired  child  creeping  into  the  mother's 
bosom  and  falling  asleep.  Sleep  is  not  a  ter- 
rible experience,  is  nothing  to  be  dreaded.  We 
sleep  when  we  are  weary,  and  we  are  refreshed. 
Sleep  is  not  the  cessation  of  life.  We  expect  to 
awake  after  we  have  slept.  As  we  part  for  the 
night,  we  do  not  say,  ''Farewell,"  but  ''Good- 
night," for  we  expect  to  meet  again  in  the  morn- 
ing. This  beautiful  Scriptural  designation  of 
death  tells  us,  therefore,  of  life  beyond,  of  resur- 
rection, of  immortality.  We  shall  awake  from 
this  sleep  of  death  and  our  life  shall  go  on  again. 
We  shall  awake  refreshed,  lying  down  weary, 
and  rising  strong;  lying  down  sick  or  old  or  de- 
formed, worn-out, — rising  well,  young  and  radi- 
ant in  heavenly  beauty. 

"  Say  not  *  Good-night,'  but  in  some  brighter  clime 
Bid  me  'Good-morning.'  " 

The  last  scene  in  our  passage  shows  us  the 
burial  of  Stephen.  It  was  quiet,  but  impressive. 
He  was  greatly  beloved,  and  the  sorrow  over  his 
death  was  sincere.  His  body  was  laid  away  in 
the  grave,  but  they  could  not  bury  his  influence. 
Martyrdom  did  not  destroy  his  life.  No  doubt 
he  did  more  by  dying  than  he  could  have  done 
if  he  had  lived  on  for  years,  preaching  Christ. 


CHAPTER  IX 

THE   DISCIPLES   DISPEESED 

Read  Acts  VIII:  1-17 

The  first  glimpse  we  have  of  Saul  is  in  the  mar- 
tyrdom of  Stephen,  The  record  is  that  he  was 
consenting  unto  Stephen's  death.  He  was  pres- 
ent, not  nlerely  as  a  spectator,  but  as  one  who 
approved  of  what  was  done  and  was  instrumental 
in  it.  Yet  this  is  the  man  who  afterwards  became 
a  glorious  apostle,  the  most  influential  of  all,  who 
wrought  in  the  founding  and  extension  of  Chris- 
tianity. An  artist  has  painted  him  as  walking 
by  Stephen's  side  with  melancholy  calmness.  He 
consents  to  the  martyr's  death  from  a  stern  sense 
of  duty,  his  countenance  contrasting  strangely 
with  that  of  the  Jewish  rulers  and  the  merciless 
mob  surrounding  him  on  all  sides.  "We  know  it 
was  St.  Paul's  conscience  that  made  him  a  par- 
ticipator in  this  martyrdom.  In  another  place  he 
tells  us  that  he  verily  thought  within  himself 
that  he  ought  to  do  many  things  contrary  to  the 
name  of  Jesus.  We  learn  that  one  may  be  very 
conscientious  and  yet  very  wrong.  Conscience 
needs  a  guide — the  Word  of  God. 

Evidently  Saul's  zeal  as  a  persecutor  was  ter- 

60 


ACTS  VIII:  1-17  61 

rific.  It  is  probable  that  Stephen's  speech  made 
him  more  bitter  for  the  time.  He  was  driven  by 
it  to  the  fiercest  frenzy  in  his  determination  to 
crush  out  Christianity  by  destroying  every  fol- 
lower of  Christ.  He  spread  desolation  ever\'- 
where.  His  activity  as  a  persecutor  is  indicated 
in  the  words,  "Saul  laid  waste  the  church,  enter- 
ing into  every  house,  and  dragging  men  and 
women  committed  them  to  prison."  His  name 
became  a  terror  to  Christians  wherever  it  was 
heard.  This  terrible  bitterness  magnifies  the 
grace  of  God  which  saved  such  an  enemy  and 
made  him  afterwards  such  an  apostle  of  Chris- 
tianity. St.  Paul  during  his  ministry  continually 
referred  to  his  own  salvation  as  assurance  that  no 
one  can  be  so  far  away  from  Christ  that  upon 
repentance  and  faith  he  would  not  be  saved. 

''They  therefore  that  were  scattered  abroad 
went  about  preaching  the  word."  We  would 
say  that  men  driven  away  from  their  homes 
by  persecution  would  be  so  frightened  that  they 
would  not  think  of  preaching,  but  would  try  only 
to  hide  from  those  who  sought  to  kill  them.  But 
these  men  did  not  try  to  hide.  They  had  the 
peace  of  God  in  their  hearts,  even  amid  all  the 
dangers.  Their  earnestness  in  behalf  of  Christ 
grew  the  more  intense  the  more  they  suffered  for 
Him.  We  are  reminded  of  that  wonderful  verse 
in  the  Twenty-third  Psalm  which  tells  us  of  God 
spreading  a  table  for  His  people  in  the  presence 
of  their  enemies.    They  were  not  afraid  to  speak 


63  THE  DISCIPLES  DISPEESED 

of  the  gospel  which  had  cost  them  so  much.  They 
were  compelled  to  leave  Jerusalem,  but  their  voices 
were  not  silenced.  They  had  suffered  for  Christ's 
sake,  but  they  would  not  give  up  Christ.  The 
life  of  Christ  in  a  true  Christian  cannot  be 
quenched  or  suppressed.  It  is  like  a  bubbling 
fountain  which  flows  everywhere.  We  should  be 
so  full  of  love  for  our  Saviour  that  in  school,  at 
work,  at  play,  in  the  quiet  of  our  own  home,  and 
wherever  we  may  go,  our  faces  shall  shine  with 
the  brightness  of  the  indwelling  peace,  and  the 
love  of  Christ  shall  find  expression  in  our  words. 
We  come  now  to  an  important  point  in  the 
history  of  the  development  of  Christianity.  Un- 
til persecution  began  there  had  been  no  effort 
made  to  carry  the  gospel  out  into  the  world.  But 
the  dispersion  of  the  disciples  became  a  great  mis- 
sionary movement.  Philip  was  one  of  the  seven 
men  chosen  to  assist  the  apostles.  He  became  a 
great  preacher  and  had  an  important  place  in  car- 
rying the  gospel  to  the  world.  "And  Philip  went 
down  to  the  city  of  Samaria,  and  proclaimed  unto 
them  the  Christ."  Philip  was  one  of  the  coals 
of  the  holy  fire  which  the  winds  of  persecution 
scattered.  The  fire  was  not  quenched,  however, 
by  the  winds,  but  was  only  fanned  into  intenser 
flames  and  greater  brightness.  The  enemies  of 
Christ  thought  to  put  out  the  fire  of  Pentecost 
but  they  only  scattered  it  far  more  widely.  Philip 
considered  the  misfortune,  as  men  would  have 
called  it,  a  providence.     Perhaps  he  had  heard 


ACTS  VIII:  1-17  63 

the  word  of  Jesus  which  said  to  the  disciples, 
^'When  they  persecute  you  in  this  city,  flee  into 
the  next."  They  were  to  flee,  but  not  to  cease 
their  work.  When  Philip  could  not  preach  longer 
in  Jerusalem,  he  went  and  preached  in  Samaria. 
He  had  a  religion  that  could  travel  and  not  lose 
its  energy  and  force.  We  ought  to  get  the  lesson 
that  wherever  circumstances  send  us  we  must 
continue  our  work  for  Christ.  Wherever  we  go, 
whether  driven  by  trouble,  or  drawn  by  affection, 
we  must  work  for  Christ.  The  captive  maid  in 
Syria  still  witnessed  among  the  heathen  for  the 
God  of  her  land,  and  the  captive  boys  in  Babylon 
did  not  forget  their  religion. 

Philip's  preaching  was  acceptable  to  the  peo- 
ple. He  was  a  Jew,  but  the  Samaritans  welcomed 
him  among  them.  "The  multitudes  gave  need 
with  one  accord  unto  the  things  that  were  spoken 
by  Philip."  He  was  the  voice  of  God  to  them, 
and  they  recognized  it  and  listened  to  it.  There 
is  an  exhortation  in  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews 
which  says,  ''See  that  ye  refuse  not  him  that 
speaketh."  Too  many  people  refuse  to  hear  the 
words  of  God  which  are  spoken  to  them.  Of  ttimes 
we  refuse,  merely  through  neglect  or  inattention, 
because  we  lack  interest  in  the  things  which  are 
spoken  of.  Sometimes  we  refuse  willfully  and 
persistently.  In  either  case,  we  should  remember 
that  we  are  refusing  to  hear  the  voice  of  God. 
God  speaks  to  us  in  many  ways,  in  His  Word, 
by  His  Spirit,  in  His  providences,  through  our 


64  THE  DISCIPLES  DISPERSED 

conscience.  If  we  listen  to  every  word  that  God 
speaks  to  us,  and  promptly  obey  it,  the  voice  will 
become  more  and  more  clear  as  we  go  on  through 
life,  and  we  will  always  have  divine  guidance. 
But  if  we  refuse  to  hear,  the  voice  will  speak  less 
and  less  clearly,  and  by  and  by  we  shall  cease 
altogether  to  hear  it.  It  is  a  serious  thing  to  re- 
fuse to  hear  the  Word  of  God.  God  speaks  to  us 
that  we  may  save  our  souls  and  comfort  our 
hearts.  We  rob  ourselves  if  we  refuse  to  hear 
what  He  has  to  say  to  us. 

Philip  had  power  to  work  miracles,  which 
proved  that  he  was  sent  of  God.  When  the 
people  saw  these  signs  they  knew  that  he  was 
God's  messenger,  and  they  were  impressed  by  his 
words.  If  we  are  to  speak  to  God  we,  too,  must 
be  able  to  show  signs  to  attest  our  message.  We 
cannot  work  miracles — casting  out  demons,  cur- 
ing the  sick,  mlaking  the  lame  to  walk.  But  there 
are  other  things  we  can  do.  We  may  show  in  our 
own  life  that  we  have  learned  Christ's  lessons 
for  ourselves.  We  must  be  full  of  good  works, 
ready  for  acts  of  kindness  and  self-denial,  ready 
to  serve  others,  not  demanding  that  others  should 
serve  us.  We  must  be  sympathetic,  as  Jesus  was, 
with  those  who  are  in  trouble,  and  with  those  who 
have  fallen  in  sin.  We  must  be  good  in  char- 
acter and  life.  If  one  is  dishonest,  untruthful, 
ungentle,  bad  tempered,  selfish,  or  mean,  he  will 
not  get  people  to  listen  to  his  words,  however 
beautiful  they  may  be. 


ACTS  VIII:  1-17  65 

** There  was  much  joy  in  that  city.**  There 
is  always  joy  where  Christ  is  received.  The  song 
of  the  angels  the  night  Jesus  was  bom  had  its 
note  about  joy.  Ever  since,  wherever  Jesus  has 
gone  He  has  carried  joy.  There  was  joy  in 
Samaria  because  of  the  blessings  which  had  come 
to  the  people  through  the  gospel.  Many  were 
saved.  Many  were  healed  of  sickness.  Many 
were  comforted  in  sorrow.  The  new  life  upon 
which  they  entered  brought  joy.  Their  homes 
became  happy.  The  love  in  which  they  began  to 
live  made  new  joy.  We  should  be  rejoicing  Chris- 
tians. We  should  try  to  carry  joy  to  others  by 
carrying  Christ  to  them.  In  the  olden  days  in 
Egypt  they  said  that  when  the  morning  light  first 
swept  over  the  chords  of  Memnon,  the  harp  gave 
out  sweet  and  gentle  music.  Whenever  the  love 
of  Christ  sweeps  over  a  human  heart  its  chords 
respond  in  grateful  music. 

''Peter  and  John  .  .  .  prayed  for  them, 
that  they  might  receive  the  Holy  Spirit.'*  It  was 
not  easy  at  this  time  for  Jews,  even  though  they 
were  apostles,  to  pray  for  Samaritans.  There 
had  always  been  a  bitter  feud  between  these  two 
peoples.  But  wherever  the  grace  of  God  goes 
it  changes  men's  feelings  toward  each  other.  It 
causes  men  to  love  their  enemies,  and  to  pray 
for  those  whom  they  had  hated  before.  The  Jews 
and  Samaritans  had  no  dealings  the  one  with 
the  other,  but  here  we  see  Philip,  a  Christian 
Jew,  going  among  the  Samaritans  and  preaching 
6 


66  THE  DISCIPLES  DISPEESED 

Christ  to  them.  Then  we  see  the  two  apostles, 
Peter  and  John,  also  Christian  Jews,  sending 
men  down  to  help  Philip  and  to  confirm  his  work 
among  these  same  Samaritans.  And  we  see  Peter 
and  John  praying  God  to  give  to  these  Samaritans 
all  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  He  had 
given  to  the  Jews.  We  remember,  too,  that  John 
once  wanted  to  call  down  fire  on  a  Samaritan 
village  because  the  village  had  rejected  Christ. 
But  now  John  is  intent  on  calling  down  another 
kind  of  fire — the  fire  of  the  Holy  Spirit— to  save, 
not  to  destroy.  We  should  want  our  worst  ene- 
mies to  become  Christians,  and  should  pray  for 
them  and  do  all  in  our  power  to  bring  down 
heavenly  blessings  upon  their  lives. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  FIEST  ETHIOPIAN  CONVEET 

Bead  Acts  VIII:  26-40 

Stephen  was  gone;  his  voice  was  hushed,  but 
another  worker  rose  up  and  took  his  place.  ''God 
buries  his  workmen,  but  carries  on  his  work." 
It  is  instructive  to  study  the  character  of  Philip, 
as  it  conies  out  of  this  story.  He  must  have  lived 
near  the  heart  of  Christ,  for  we  see  him  here  in 
communication  with  heaven.  Those  who  are  far 
away  are  not  called  for  important  work.  Dr. 
Bonar  says,  "God  always  uses  the  vessel  that  is 
nearest  to  him."  Another  good  thing  in  Philip 
was  his  promptness  in  obeying  the  voice  of  God. 
God  cannot  use  those  who  loiter  and  take  their 
own  time  to  do  His  errands.  He  must  have  serv- 
ants who  will  go  instantly,  "minute  men,"  ready 
at  an  instant's  call  to  go  to  the  end  of  the  earth. 
Another  good  point  was  Philip's  self-denial. 
He  was  doing  a  great  work  in  Samaria.  He  was 
popular.  People  gathered  about  him,  throngs 
flocked  to  hear  him.  It  was  not  easy  to  leave 
his  great  field  in  Samaria,  with  so  much  of  en- 
couragement and  success,  and  go  away  into  a 
desert,  alone,  with  nothing  definite  marked  out 

67 


I 
68         FIEST  ETHIOPIAN  CONVERT 

for  him  to  do  there.  Yet  Philip  went  as  cheer- 
fully on  his  long,  lonesome  journey  as  he  would 
have  gone  to  preach  to  the  largest  crowd  in 
Samaria.  We  should  never  raise  the  question  of 
what  is  pleasant  to  us  when  God  gives  a  command. 
Our  only  desire  should  be  to  do  His  will.  We 
do  not  know  what  is  large  or  small  in  the  work 
of  the  Lord.  The  desert  call  seemed  small,  only  a 
desert  road,  and  one  man,  but  Ethiopia  was  back 
of  it,  and  it  may  be  that  the  results  of  that  one 
bit  of  obscure  work  surpassed  all  the  other  work 
of  Philip's  whole  life.  In  any  case,  that  is  not, 
is  never,  the  question.  The  only  matter  is.  What 
does  God  bid?  Philip  was  also  tactful.  It  re- 
quired considerable  courage  and  skill  for  this 
plain  evangelist  to  speak  to  the  great  man  riding 
in  the  chariot.  Many  a  person  with  zeal  lacks 
wisdom  and  blunders  so  in  God's  work  as  to  do 
harm  rather  than  good  in  trying  to  win  men. 
Philip  also  knew  his  Bible.  When  he  found  the 
noble  traveler  puzzled  over  a  text,  he  did  not  have 
to  take  time  to  look  up  its  meaning.  He  had 
himself  studied  the  Bible  before,  and  knew  its 
teachings,  and  was  ready,  therefore,  at  a  mo- 
ment's call  to  make  plain  the  meaning  of  the 
difficult  passage.  Those  who  would  do  Christ's 
work  must  know  Christ's  Book. 

A  man  was  wanted  for  an  important  errand, 
and  a  messenger  came  to  Philip  and  bade  him  to 
drop  his  work  in  Samaria.  The  incident  sug- 
gests the  close  connection  between  heaven  and 


ACTS  VIII :  26-40  69 

earth.  The  Christian  work  in  this  world  is  di- 
rected from  heaven.  If  we  are  living  as  we  may, 
as  we  should,  we  are  always  receiving  messages 
from  Christ,  bidding  us  to  go  here  or  there  and 
do  this  or  that.  ' '  But  an  angel  of  the  Lord  spake 
unto  Philip,  saying.  Arise,  and  go  toward  the 
south  unto  the  way  that  goeth  down  from  Jerusa- 
lem unto  Gaza:  the  same  is  desert."  Why  did 
not  the  angel  go  himself,  instead  of  calling  Philip 
away  from  his  important  work?  The  answer  is 
that  angels  are  not  sent  on  such  errands.  They 
are  ministering  spirits,  doing  Christ's  bidding  in 
the  great  work  of  redemption,  but  they  do  not 
preach  the  gospel.  How  could  they  preach?  They 
have  not  been  redeemed,  and  how  could  they  tell 
the  lost  of  the  love  of  Christ  and  the  blood  of 
redemption? 

Christ  makes  His  redeemed  ones  the  messen- 
gers of  the  gospel  to  others.  They  know  what  sin 
is,  and  understand  the  need  of  salvation.  They 
know  what  Christ  has  done  for  them,  and  can  tell 
others  what  He  will  do  for  them.  We  should  be 
ready  every  moment  to  speak  to  others  of  Christ 
and  His  love.  If  we  are  led  to  think  of  another, 
to  be  anxious  for  his  salvation,  and  to  pray  for 
him,  it  is  certain  we  have  an  errand  to  that  per- 
son and  that  God  wishes  us  to  be  the  messenger 
to  carry  the  very  blessing  we  are  asking  Him 
in  our  prayers  to  send.  We  should  hasten  with 
our  message.  There  may  not  be  a  moment  to 
spare.     Christ's  errands  are  exactly  timed.     If 


70         FIEST  ETHIOPIAN  CONVERT 

Philip  had  loitered  he  would  have  missed  the 
Ethiopian.  It  seems  strange  that  Philip  should 
be  called  away  from  the  great  work  he  was  do- 
ing. Multitudes  were  awaiting  upon  his  min- 
istry, and  his  work  was  very  successful.  It  cer- 
tainly was  a  trial  of  Philip's  faith.  But  he  was 
not  careless  in  his  obedience.  He  went  where 
the  Master  bade  him  to  go,  and  he  went  imme- 
diately. He  asked  no  questions  and  made  no  ob- 
jections. God  often  sends  His  servants  on  what 
may  seem  to  them  strange  errands,  but  He  always 
has  some  purpose  in  doing  so.  No  errand  of  God 
is  useless. 

At  last  Philip  found  his  work.  His  sealed 
orders  were  opened.  ''And  the  Spirit  said  unto 
Philip,  Go  near,  and  join  thyself  to  this  chariot." 
He  had  been  sent  to  explain  a  text  of  Scripture. 
Did  it  not  seem  a  mistake,  however,  to  call  him 
away  from  hundreds,  to  speak  to  one?  One  an- 
swer is  that  individual  souls  are  dear  to  God. 
Another  is  that  this  one  man  was  from  the  ' '  utter- 
most parts,"  and  if  he  himself  had  the  gospel, 
he  would  carry  it  back  to  his  own  land,  thus  be- 
coming a  missionary.  We  never  can  know  what 
is  our  most  important  work  any  day.  Perhaps 
more  may  come  from  five  minutes'  casual  talk 
with  some  stranger,  when  we  think  we  are  wasting 
our  time,  than  from  a  sermon  preached  to  a 
thousand  people.  The  true  thing  is  to  put  our- 
selves into  God's  hands  to  do  whatever  He  may 
send  us  to  do. 


ACTS  VIII :  26-40  71 

Philip  was  eager  now  to  do  what  he  had  been 
sent  to  do.  ''Philip  ran  to  him."  Philip  was 
not  afraid  to  open  up  the  subject  of  religion 
even  with  a  stranger.  This  man  in  the  chariot 
was  a  man  of  high  rant,  and  Philip  was  a  plain 
man.  The  traveler  was  busy  reading,  too,  and 
might  not  care  to  be  interrupted.  Yet  when 
Philip  was  bidden  to  join  himself  to  the  chariot 
he  promptly  obeyed.  We  should  be  ready  al- 
ways to  obey  the  impulses  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  our  hearts.  Suppose  Philip  had  excused  him- 
self, on  the  ground  that  he  was  not  acquainted 
with  this  man,  or  that  the  man  might  not  wel- 
come him,  or  because  of  his  own  shyness,  what 
an  opportunity  would  have  been  lost !  We  should 
ever  keep  ourselves  ready  for  instant  service 
wherever  God  may  send  us.  The  destiny  of  other 
souls  may  depend  upon  our  prompt  obedience, 
and  they  may  be  lost  through  our  failure. 

*'Understandest  thou  what  thou  readest? 
.  .  .  How  can  I,  except  some  one  shall  guide 
meV*  Now  we  see  why  Philip  was  sent  away 
along  this  lonely  road.  Here  was  a  human  soul 
crying  but  for  light.  God  heard  the  man's  cry 
and  took  him  away  from  a  great  work,  sending  him 
to  answer  a  heart's  wish.  God  always  knows 
when  there  is  a  soul  anywhere  longing  for  sal- 
vation, and  in  some  way  He  will  send  the  bless- 
ing. This  noble  traveler  is  an  example  of  a  sin- 
cere seeker.  He  went  to  the  right  place  when 
he  opened  his  Bible  to  seek  light.     He  was  a 


72         FIRST  ETHIOPIAN  CONVERT 

humble  seeker,  for  he  was  not  asliamed  to  con- 
fess that  he  could  not  understand  the  Scriptures 
and  to  ask  a  plain  wayfarer  to  tell  him.  He 
was  teachable,  for  he  was  ready  to  receive  the 
explanation  Philip  gave  to  him.  He  was  a  be- 
lieving seeker,  also,  for  the  moment  he  under- 
stood the  text  and  learned  who  the  Messiah  was, 
he  accepted  Him  and  began  to  follow  Him. 

"And  Philip  .  .  .  beginning  from  this 
scripture,  preached  unto  him  Jesus."  A  num- 
ber of  years  since  a  researcher  of  art  in  Italy 
found  a  clew  to  a  valuable  portrait  of  Dante 
which  had  been  lost.  He  had  reason  to  believe 
that  it  was  on  the  wall  of  a  room  then  used 
for  rubbish.  He  cleared  out  the  apartment  and 
began  to  experiment  on  the  wall.  He  removed 
bits  of  whitewashing  and  plaster  and  last  came 
upon  the  surface  where  the  picture  had  been 
painted.  He  then  carefully  stripped  off  the  wash- 
ings and  coatings,  disclosing  at  length  Giotto's 
portrait  of  the  sad,  thoughtful  face  of  the  great 
Tuscan  poet.  So  the  picture  of  Christ  lay  in 
this  ancient  prophecy  in  all  its  beauty,  but  the 
Ethiopian  prince  could  not  see  it  until  the  evan- 
gelist had  stripped  off  the  veils  and  coverings, 
when  it  burst  upon  him  in  all  its  tenderness  and 
grace.  The  Bible  needs  explanation.  That  is  the 
teacher's  work — to  show  Jesus  in  the  Scriptures 
to  the  pupils  who  bend  with  eager  interest  over 
the  holy  page. 

The  traveler  was  intelligent  and  quickly  un- 


ACTS  VIII:  26-40  73 

derstood  Philip's  explanation.  He  had  a  good 
teacher,  too,  and  at  once  wanted  to  confess  Christ. 
''The  eunuch  saith,  Behold,  here  is  water;  what 
doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptized?"  He  did  not  pro- 
pose to  be  a  secret  disciple,  but  desired  to  make 
open  confession.  The  moment  the  vision  of  Christ 
is  opened  to  any  soul,  there  should  be,  first,  instant 
acceptance,  and  then,  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment,  public  confession.  Some  people  imagine 
they  can  be  good  Christians  without  taking  an 
open  stand.  But  confession  is  a  large  part  of 
faith.  We  should  wait  for  nothing.  Fuller  in- 
struction will  come  afterwards. 

*'He  went  on  his  way  rejoicing."  He  did  not 
give  up  his  journey  and  go  back  among  the  other 
Christians  because  he  was  now  a  Christian.  He 
went  on  his  way  to  his  own  country,  and  prob- 
ably continued  in  his  place  as  the  queen's  treas- 
urer. A  newborn  Christian  is  not  to  give  up  his 
pursuit  in  life  because  he  has  given  himself  to 
Christ.  Of  course,  if  the  pursuit  is  a  wicked  one 
it  must  be  given  up;  but  if  one's  occupation  is 
right,  he  is  usually  to  stick  to  it,  carrying  Christ 
with  him  into  it.  A  carpenter  when  converted 
is  ordinarily  to  continue  to  be  a  carpenter  with 
Christ.  Another  thought  suggested  here  is  that 
Christ  gives  joy.  This  man  went  on  his  way  re- 
joicing. Some  people  think  religion  would  rob 
them  of  joy.  Certainly  it  did  not  have  this  effect 
upon  this  Ethiopian.  Life  was  all  changed  for 
him  after  he  had  received  Christ.    He  went  on 


74         FIRST  ETHIOPIAN  CONVERT 

Ms  way,  but  his  heart  was  full  of  song.  He 
was  like  one  of  those  clocks  with  a  music  box 
hidden  in  it,  that  plays  a  sweet  tune  each  time 
the  clock  strikes  the  hour.  The  clock  does  not 
stop  to  give  the  music,  but  keeps  ticking  on  and 
making  music  at  the  same  time.  The  Christian 
goes  on  in  his  work,  but  while  he  works  his 
heart  sings,  and  the  songs  make  the  way  shorter 
and  the  burdens  lighter.  At  the  same  time  they 
give  cheer  to  others  on  whose  ears  they  fall. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  CONVEESION   OF   SAUL 

Read  Acts  IX:  1-30 

Before  conversion  Saul  Was  as  intense  in  his  zeal 
for  the  destroying  of  Christianity  as  he  was  after 
his  conversion  in  his  efforts  to  extend  the  power 
of  Christ.  From  place  to  place  he  went,  from 
house  to  house,  seizing  men  and  women,  casting 
them  into  prison  and  punishing  them.  This  was 
the  sort  of  man  Saul  was  the  morning  of  the  day 
of  his  conversion. 

Why  was  Saul  so  bitter  against  Jesus  ?  What 
was  the  reason  for  his  opposition?  He  was  a 
loyal  Jew,  and  Jesus  had  been  crucified  by  the 
rulers  of  his  people  as  a  blasphemer.  In  this 
hatred  of  the  rulers  of  his  nation  to  Jesus,  Saul 
sympathized.  That  such  a  man  should  claim  to 
be  the  Messiah  foretold  by  the  prophets  appeared 
to  Saul  proof  that  He  was  an  impostor.  Accord- 
ing to  Saul's  thought,  Jesus  had  fulfilled  none  of 
the  Jewish  expectations  regarding  the  Messiah: 
He  had  established  no  kingdom ;  He  had  wrought 
no  deliverance  for  His  people.  Thinking  of  Jesus 
in  this  way,  Saul  readily  conceived  that  He  was 
an  impostor  and  that  belief  in  Him  as  the  Mes- 

76 


76  THE  CONVERSION  OF  SAUL 

siah  was  heresy,  which  he  as  a  true  Jew  was 
bound  to  do  all  he  could  to  stamp  out.  Saul 
was  conscientious  in  his  opinions  concerning  Jesus 
and  in  his  work  as  a  persecutor. 

In  his  journey  Saul  was  drawing  nigh  unto 
Damascus,  intent  upon  his  errand  of  finding  and 
seizing  all  disciples  there.  We  can  imagine  the 
terror  of  the  Christians  at  Damascus  as  they 
heard  of  the  approach  of  the  terrible  persecutor, 
whose  name  spread  dismay  wherever  it  was  heard. 
No  doubt  they  were  praying  God  to  stay  his  prog- 
ress. We  can  imagine  also  what  passed  in  the 
mind  of  this  traveler  as  he  journeyed  along  the 
way.  He  never  had  forgotten  Stephen's  words 
before  the  council,  or  Stephen's  death,  with  the 
prayer  that  he  made  for  his  murderers  with  his 
last  breath.  In  all  his  terrible  work  as  a  perse- 
cutor Saul  had  also  seen  many  glimpses  of  Chris- 
tian life  in  the  homes  he  had  entered.  Stephen 
was  not  the  only  man  of  those  Saul  had  met  in 
his  warfare  on  Christians  who  had  shown  the 
gentle  and  kindly  spirit  of  the  Master.  He  must 
have  seen  sweet  faith  and  gentle  trust  which 
deeply  affected  him.  Is  it  not  almost  certain 
that  doubts  of  the  rightness  of  his  own  course 
troubled  him?  The  words  of  the  Lord  to  him 
about  kicking  against  the  goad  seem  to  indicate 
that  Saul  had  really  been  fighting  against  his 
own  convictions,  especially  the  later  days  of  his 
persecuting  work.  Thus  he  was  prepared  for  the 
sudden  appearance  of  Jesus  to  him  in  the  way. 


ACTS  IX :  1-30  77 

He  had  almost  reached  the  end  of  his  journey 
when  a  strange  thing  happened.  *  *  Suddenly  there 
shone  round  about  him  a  light  out  of  heaven." 
It  was  more  than  light — it  was  the  glory  of  a 
person,  the  divine  person  of  Christ.  In  the  daz- 
zling brightness  of  the  great  light  Saul  fell  to 
the  earth.  As  he  lay  there  he  heard  a  voice,  call- 
ing him  by  name,  ''Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest 
thou  me  ? '  ^  Every  word  was  emphatic.  ' '  Why  I ' ' 
Wliat  had  Jesus  done  to  Saul  to  deserve  such 
treatment?  If  He  had  been  a  tyrant  while  on 
the  earth,  if  He  had  gone  about  burning  towns, 
desolating  homes,  crushing  the  weak  and  the 
poor,  and  causing  pain,  poverty  and  sorrow, 
there  would  have  been  some  excuse  for  Saul's 
bitter,  relentless  enmity.  But  Jesus  had  gone 
about  only  doing  good.  Why  had  Saul  so  fought 
against  Jesus? 

''Why  persecutest  thou  me?"  The  question 
was  personal.  Saul  had  to  stand  face  to  face 
with  the  glorified  Jesus  and  answer  why  he,  Saul, 
was  His  enemy.  Every  human  soul  stands  in  a 
personal  relation  to  Jesus  Christ.  We  cannot 
lose  ourselves  in  any  company.  The  question  is 
always  a  personal  one — "What  think  ye  of 
the  Christ?" 

"Wliy  persecutest  thou  me?"  Saul  had  not 
personally  persecuted  Jesus — probably  he  had 
never  even  seen  Him.  But  one  who  lifts  a.  hand 
against  any  of  Christ's  disciples,  lifts  a  hand 
against  Christ  Himself,  for  Christ  makes  com- 


78  THE  CONVERSION  OF  SAUL 

mon  cause  with  each  one  of  His  people,  even 
the  lowliest.  * '  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  did  not  give 
me  to  eat ;  .  .  .  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  unto 
one  of  these  least,  ye  did  it  not  unto  me."  He 
who  wrongs  a  Christian,  wrongs  Christ. 

Saul  saw  before  him  the  glorified  form  of 
Jesus.  He  was  amazed,  and  asked,  "Who  art 
thou,  Lord?"  He  never  had  dreamed  that  the 
lowly  man  who  went  about  through  Galilee  work- 
ing miracles  and  teaching  the  people  was  indeed 
the  Son  of  God,  the  Messiah.  He  had  thought 
Him  only  a  man,  an  impostor.  But  now  he  saw 
before  him  la  glorious  Person,  the  most  glorious 
he  had  ever  seen,  radiant  in  divine  splendour. 
Then,  when  he  asked,  ''Who  art  thou?"  the  an- 
swer came, ' '  I  am  Jesus. ' '  This  divine  Being  was 
the  lowly  Jesus  whom  Saul  was  persecuting.  In- 
stantly he  saw  the  terrible  mistake  he  had  been 
making.  This  Jesus  was  indeed  the  Messiah,  the 
Son  of  God. 

But  he  resisted  no  longer.  His  opposition  was 
over  forever.  In  one  of  the  other  accounts  which 
Saul  gave  of  his  conversion  we  are  told  that  the 
first  question,  "Who  art  thou.  Lord?"  was  fol- 
lowed by  another,  as  soon  as  he  heard  the  answer, 
"What  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do?"  This  question 
implies  full  surrender.  He  asked  at  once  for  his 
duty,  entering  the  service  of  this  new  Master  im- 
mediately. 

To  the  question,  "What  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do?"  came  the  answer,  "Rise,  and  enter  into  the 


ACTS  IX :  1-30  79 

dty,  and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou  must  do. ' ' 
He  was  not  to  lie  there  in  the  dust,  defeated  and 
broken.  This  Was  not  to  be  the  end  of  his  life. 
Jesus  had  not  meant  to  destroy  him,  but  to  save 
him  and  call  him  into  service.  He  must  rise  up. 
When  God  finds  us  in  our  sins,  we  are  not  to 
lie  down  and  weep  inconsolably  over  the  ruined 
past.  No  matter  if  the  best  part  of  life  is  gone, 
we  may  not,  we  dare  not,  spend  one  moment  in 
mere  idle  tears  and  regret  over  it.  We  should 
rise  instantly,  turn  our  faces  resolutely  away  from 
our  wrong  and  wasted  past,  and  put  into  the  days 
that  remain  all  we  can  of  strength  and  beauty. 

God  gTiides  us  one  step  at  a  time.  Saul  did 
not  learn  that  moment  what  his  whole  mission 
would  be;  he  did  learn,  however,  the  first  step 
of  obedience.  He  was  to  go  into  the  city,  and 
when  he  got  there  he  would  learn  more.  Wlien 
a  young  Christian  begins  to  follow  Christ  he  is 
not  likely  to  be  shown  his  duty  for  his  whole 
life.  He  will  be  shown  one  step,  however,  and 
if  he  takes  that,  another  step  will  be  made  plain, 
and  another,  and  another,  and  so  on,  step  by  step, 
till  he  has  reached  the  end  of  a  noble  and  beauti- 
ful life. 

"I  do  not  ask  to  see 
The  distant  scene — one  step  enough  for  me." 

The  part  of  Ananias  in  the  conversion  of  Saul 
has  interesting  lessons  for  us.  Why  did  not  Jesus 
Himself  cpmplei©  the  work  without  calling  in 


80  THE  CONVEESION  OF  SAUL 

any  man  to  help  Him?  We  do  not  know,  except- 
ing that  it  is  usually  His  way  to  use  human  help- 
ers. Ananias  was  startled  to  receive  the  com- 
mand, "Arise,  and  go  to  the  street  which  is  called 
Straight,  and  inquire  in  the  house  of  Judas  for 
one  named  Saul,  a  man  of  Tarsus."  It  brings 
Jesus  very  close  to  notice  how  intimately  he  was 
acquainted  with  all  that  was  going  on  in  the  city. 
He  knew  the  names  of  the  streets  and  where  each 
person  lived  or  was  even  temporarily  staying. 
Christ  in  heaven  to-day  knows  us  by  name  and 
is  familiar  with  the  most  intimate  events  of  our 
lives.  He  knows  the  house  we  live  in,  and  the 
street,  and  knows  our  present  desires  and  needs, 
and  hears  our  prayers. 

No  wonder  Ananias  hesitated  when  he  was 
bidden  to  go  to  meet  the  terrible  scourge  of  the 
church.  He  had  heard  a  great  deal  about  Saul 
and  had  learned  to  dread  him.  But  the  Lord 
assures  Ananias  that  there  will  be  no  danger 
in  his  going  to  find  Saul.  ' '  Behold,  he  prayeth. ' ' 
This  was  evidence  that  Saul  was  not  now  a  dan- 
gerous man.  Not  only  was  he  praying,  but  he 
was  praying  for  just  the  help  Ananias  could 
bear  to  him.  Further,  Ananias  was  assured  that 
this  very  Saul,  who  had  been  such  a  terrible  per- 
secutor, was  a  chosen  vessel  for  Christ,  to  bear 
His  name  before  Gentiles  and  kings. 


CHAPTER  XII 

PETEB  AND  CORNELIUS 

Read  Acts  X:  1-20 

It  was  not  easy  for  Peter  to  go  to  the  house  of 
Cornelius.  All  his  life  he  had  been  trained  to 
Jewish  exclusiveness  as  part  of  his  religion.  It 
was  hard  for  him  to  forget  all  this  and  to  regard 
the  Gentiles  as  having  as  much  right  to  receive 
the  gospel  as  his  own  people.  Yet  Peter  accepted 
the  teaching  when  it  was  made  plain  to  him,  and 
went  promptly  on  his  errand.  We  should  keep 
our  minds  free  from  prejudice  and  open  to  the 
truth,  whatever  way  it  may  come  to  us. 

Cornelius  is  an  interesting  man.  The  New 
Testament  centurions  are  all  worthy  men.  We 
call  Cornelius  a  heathen,  but  some  modem  Chris- 
tians might  learn  from  his  life  and  character.  He 
worshiped  God.  His  home  was  a  home  of  prayer. 
He  gave  alms  generously  to  the  poor.  That  his 
religion  was  not  of  the  formal  kind  is  evident 
from  the  fact  that  his  prayers  reached  heaven 
and  found  acceptance  with  God.  The  angel  came 
to  him  to  assure  him  that  his  prayers  had  been 
heard  and  that  they  were  about  to  be  answered. 
We  may  be  quite  sure  that  he  had  been  praying 
6  81 


82  PETER  AND  CORNELIUS 

for  more  knowledge  of  God  and  of  heavenly 
things.  Wherever  there  is  a  human  soul  longing 
for  God  and  for  light,  the  fact  becomes  known  in 
heaven  and  the  answer  comes. 

To  Cornelius  the  angel  said,  ''Send  men  to 
Joppa,  and  fetch  one  Simon."  Why  did  not  the 
angel  himself  tell  Cornelius  what  he  wanted  to 
know?  Angels  do  not  preach  the  gospel.  Only 
one  who  has  been  redeemed  can  explain  redemp- 
tion to  one  who  wants  to  understand  it.  The 
angel  could  only  tell  Cornelius  how  to  have  his 
longings  satisfied.  He  must  send  to  Joppa  for 
a  man. 

While  the  messengers  were  nearing  Joppa, 
Peter  also  was  having  a  vision.  Nothing  less  than 
this  could  prepare  him  for  going  on  the  errand 
to  the  Roman's  house.  His  vision  was  calculated 
to  show  him  that  now,  since  Christ  had  come  and 
died  and  risen,  the  distinction  between  Jew  and 
Gentile  was  wiped  out.  When  he  saw  the  herd 
of  beasts  of  all  kinds  in  the  sheet  let  down  from 
heaven  and  heard  the  command  to  kill  and  eat, 
his  Jewish  exclusiveness  was  so  ingrained  that 
he  at  first  objected  to  the  contact  with  what  he 
had  been  taught  was  unclean.  But  most  em- 
phatically the  objection  was  answered,  ''What 
God  hath  cleansed,  make  not  thou  common." 
The  emphasis  is  on  "God"  and  "thou."  Peter 
was  not  to  set  up  his  standard  against  God's.  Of 
course,  the  lesson  was  not  merely  about  meats. 
The  mingled  herd  in  the  descending  sheet  was 


ACTS  X :  1-20  83 

a  picture  of  the  world  with  its  nations.  The  Jews 
thought  none  ** clean"  but  themselves.  But  the 
blood  of  Christ  had  cleansed  all  nations,  so  far 
at  least  that  all  were  invited  on  the  same  terms 
into  the  family  of  God.  The  lesson  is  yet  before 
us  to  be  learned  or  better  learned.  Wliile  we 
treat  the  Chinese  as  we  do,  while  we  make  dis- 
tinctions on  social  lines,  while  we  turn  away  with 
revulsion  from  anyone,  even  the  basest,  who  wears 
the  divine  image,  we  have  yet  to  learn  what  this 
vision  means. 

The  vision  and  the  duty  came  very  close  to- 
gether. The  lesson  was  taught  in  the  vision; 
now,  instantly,  came  the  divine  call  to  put  the 
lesson  in  practice.  Peter  had  been  shown  that 
the  old  walls  and  distinctions  were  to  be  broken 
down.  Just  what  the  lesson  meant,  he  could  not 
make  out.  He  was  sitting,  then,  on  the  roof  of 
Simon's  house,  perplexed  over  the  strange  vision, 
wondering  what  it  could  mean.  Was  the  gospel 
to  be  given  to  all  nations  alike?  That  seemed 
to  be  the  teaching  of  the  vision.  But  was  it? 
Just  then  there  was  heard  the  tread  of  feet  on 
the  pavement  below.  ''Three  men  seek  thee"  the 
Spirit  whispered  to  Peter.  ' '  Go  with  them,  noth- 
ing doubting:  for  I  have  sent  them."  In  a  little 
while  Peter  was  on  his  way  with  Gentile  messen- 
gers to  the  house  of  a  Gentile. 

There  is  an  illustration  here  of  the  way  God 
often  first  shows  us  our  duty,  and  then  calls  us 
out  to  do  it.    He  gives  the  vision,  and  the  vision 


84  PETER  AND  CORNELIUS 

pictures  the  task.  The  vision  carries  in  it  a  bit 
of  God's  will  for  you.  You  cannot  but  work  it 
out  in  the  duty  of  the  moment,  or  prove  dis- 
obedient. There  comes  to  your  knowledge  in  some 
way  a  story  of  human  need  or  sorrow  of  some 
kind.  The  vision  is  before  you.  It  has  in  it  a 
call  to  a  new  duty.  Immediately  a  voice  begins 
to  bid  you  go  and  minister  to  the  trouble  or  sor- 
row. The  duty  springs  out  of  the  vision.  So 
it  is  continually  in  life.  Visions  are  always  com- 
ing; almost  every  Bible  verse  we  read  brings  up 
a  conception  of  moral  beauty  which  we  are  to 
try  to  attain,  nor  hints  at  a  task  which  waits  for 
our  hands.  God  sends  the  calls  to  duty,  and  we 
dare  not  disregard  them. 

When  Peter  reached  the  house  he  was  cor- 
dially welcomed.  He  asked  why  he  had  been  sent 
for,  and  it  was  told  him  what  had  happened. 
"Forthwith  therefore  I  sent  to  thee;  amd  thou 
hast  well  done  that  thou  art  come.  Now  therefore 
we  are  all  here  present  in  the  sight  of  God,  to 
hear  all  things  that  have  been  commanded  thee 
of  the  Lord."  The  attitude  of  Cornelius  was 
beautiful.  He  believed  that  Peter  was  the  mes- 
senger of  God  to  him,  and  he  was  ready  to  hear, 
with  reverence  and  love,  whatever  message  this 
messenger  might  give. 

That  Peter  was  ready  now  to  speak  his  mes- 
sage appeared  from  his  words:  "Of  a  truth  I 
perceive  that  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons." 
It  had  cost  Peter  a  great  deal  to  learn  this  lesson. 


ACTS  X:l-20  86 

Up  to  that  time  he  had  thought  that  God  was  a 
respecter  of  persons,  that  He  had  a  special  re- 
gard for  the  Jews,  and  that  the  Gentiles  had 
but  small  place  in  His  favour.  In  that  wonder- 
ful vision  at  Joppa  God  had  taught  him  the  truth 
that  now  all  nations  were  alike  before  Him.  We 
should  learn  well  this  lesson  for  ourselves.  God 
never  asks  to  what  country  a  man  belongs.  He 
looks  upon  the  heart  and  judges  men  by  their 
character.  He  hears  the  cry  for  mercy  and  help 
from  any  one  of  His  children,  never  asking  to 
what  country  or  to  what  rank  they  belong.  No 
royalty,  greatness,  or  beauty  will  count  in  God's 
sight  if  the  heart  be  wrong ;  and  no  poverty,  lowli- 
ness, or  humbleness  is  a  blemish  if  the  heart  be 
right. 

Peter's  conversion  from  the  narrowness  of 
Judaism  to  the  wideness  of  Christianity  was  very 
remarkable.  In  his  words  to  Cornelius  he  makes 
it  very  clear  that  the  gospel  is  for  all  men.  God 
loves  the  world,  and  not  merely  a  little  handful 
of  people  in  the  world.  He  desires  all  to  be  saved, 
and  the  gates  of  the  gospel  are  opened  to  men 
of  every  nation.  ' '  In  every  nation  he  that  f  eareth 
him,  and  worketh  righteousness,  is  acceptable  to 
him."  The  way  of  salvation  is  just  as  open  for 
the  lowest  heathen  as  for  one  of  the  ''four  hun- 
dred" of  the  metropolis.  Yet  the  way  is  not 
open  to  anyone  until  he  gives  up  his  sins  and 
turns  his  heart  to  seek  God.  The  only  condition 
of  salvation  is  the  acceptance  of  the  divine  way. 


86  PETEE  AND  COENELIUS 

Peter  made  plain  to  Cornelius  the  way  of  sal- 
vation by  Jesus  Christ;  he  told  of  'Hhe  word 
which  he  sent  unto  the  children  of  Israel,  preach- 
ing good  tidings  of  peace  by  Jesus  Christ  (he 
is  Lord  of  all)."  This  was  the  gospel  which  had 
come  to  the  Jews,  and  the  same  gospel  Peter  was 
now  bringing  to  the  Gentiles.  He  recounts  briefly 
the  story  of  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  then 
declares  that  ''every  one  that  believe th  on  him 
shall  receive  remission  of  sins."  Cornelius,  good 
man  though  he  was,  prayerful,  obedient,  upright, 
needed  Christ  and  must  accept  Him  as  his  per- 
sonal Saviour.  There  is  no  place  to  bring  our 
sins  for  pardon  and  cleansing  but  to  the  cross. 

As  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  Holy  Spirit 
fell  upon  the  disciples,  so  now  upon  these  Gentile 
disciples  the  same  Spirit  fell.  Thus  the  promise 
of  Christ  was  fulfilled  to  the  Gentiles  as  well  as 
to  the  Jews.  At  once  those  who  believed  were 
baptized,  and  thus  the  Church  began  among  the 
Gentiles. 


CHAPTER  Xni 

GENTILES   CONVERTED   AT   ANTIOCH 

Read  Acts  XI:  19-26 

After  tlie  death  of  Stephen,  the  believers  in  Christ 
were  scattered  throughout  the  regions  of  Judaea 
and  Samaria.  And  as  they  went  they  preached. 
Some  of  the  scattered  Christians — men  of  Cyprus 
and  Cyrene — when  they  reached  Antioch,  began 
to  tell  of  Jesus  to  the  Greeks.  These  men  do  not 
seem  to  have  been  ministers  or  men  set  apart  as 
preachers.  They  were  what  we  call  laymen.  But 
they  were  men  full  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  who 
could  not  repress  within  them  the  fire  of  love  for 
Christ.  We  must  not  think  that  because  we  are 
not  ministers  or  elders  or  Sunday-school  teachers, 
therefore  we  have  no  commission  to  speak  the 
Word  of  Christ.  Every  Christian  ought  to  be  a 
witness  for  the  Lord  Jesus  wherever  he  goes. 
*'He  that  heareth,  let  him  say,  Come.^'  Every 
Christian  man  and  woman,  boy  and  girl,  who 
knows  of  Christ  should  go  out  and  tell  of  Him, 
and  keep  telling  of  Him  all  the  week. 

We  know  that  God  blessed  their  labours,  for 
it  is  said,  '■  *  The  hand  of  the  Lord  was  with  them. ' ' 
The  hand  is  that  with  which  one  works.    The  hand 

87 


88    GENTILES  CONVERTED  AT  ANTIOCH 

of  the  Lord  means  the  power  of  the  Lord.  These 
men  did  not  go  in  their  own  name,  with  only  their 
own  strength.  They  had  faith  in  Christ,  and  wher- 
ever they  went  Christ  went  with  them  and  wrought 
in  them.  When  they  spoke.  His  power  was  in  their 
words.  We  must  not  think  that  this  was  simply 
a  blessing  for  the  apostolic  days ;  it  was  as  much 
for  our  own  days  as  it  was  for  the  time  in  which 
this  story  belongs.  Jesus  commanded  His  dis- 
ciples to  go  into  all  the  world,  to  preach  the 
gospel  to  every  living  creature,  and  He  gave  them 
the  promise,  '^Lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world."  The  hand  of  the  Lord  did 
not  work  in  those  days  independently  of  His  dis- 
ciples. It  was  not  an  invisible  hand  that  did 
the  mighty  acts.  Christ  wrought  through  His 
disciples.  The  instrument  is  human,  but  the 
power  is  divine.  St.  Paul  tells  us  in  one  of  his 
epistles  that  we  are  coworkers  with  God.  When 
He  bids  us  do  anything,  we  are  to  go  and  do 
it,  and  then  He  works  with  us.  A  mother  can- 
not change  her  child's  heart,  but  if  she  teaches 
it  the  words  of  Christ  there  is  an  unseen  Hand 
working  with  hers,  in  her  words  and  in  the  in- 
fluence of  her  life,  which  does  the  mysterious  work 
upon  the  child's  heart.  When  a  young  person 
goes  with  a  few  flowers  to  a  sick  room,  and  speaks 
a  few  kind  words,  doing  all  in  Christ's  nam:e, 
Christ  Himself  goes,  too,  and  His  Spirit  works 
through  the  beautiful  flowers  and  through  the 
kindly  words  to  comfort  and  bless  and  help  the 


ACTS  XI:  19-26  89 

sick  person.  If  only  we  have  faitli  in  Christ  and 
do  His  will,  His  hand  will  always  be  with  ns 
to  help  us. 

Word  of  the  activity  of  these  volunteer  workers 
was  taken  to  Jerusalem,  and  the  church  there  sent 
Barnabas  to  inquire  about  them.  ^'Wlio,  when 
he  was  oome,  and  had  seen  the  grace  of  God,  was 
glad."  Barnabas  was  glad  because  he  saw  that 
God  was  working  in  that  church.  It  should  al- 
ways make  a  Christian  glad  to  see  people  listen- 
ing to  the  gospel  and  accepting  its  message.  We 
should  notice  here  that  the  work  which  pleased 
Barnabas  was  not  his  own,  but  that  which  others 
had  been  doing.  Sometimes  people  do  not  re- 
joice when  they  find  the  work  of  others  blessed 
and  prospering.  It  makes  them  envious.  This 
is  a  bad  spirit.  Barnabas  rejoiced  when  he  saw 
that  the  blessing  of  God  attended  the  work  of 
other  preachers,  even  of  plain,  common  men.  We 
should  learn  this  lesson.  Boys  and  girls  in  school 
should  be  glad  when  other  members  of  their  class 
succeed,  and  should  never  be  envious  of  them. 
Teachers  should  rejoice  when  they  see  the  class 
of  another  teacher  growing,  interested  and  pros- 
perous. Business  and  professional  men  should 
be  pleased  when  they  hear  that  associates  are 
doing  well.  The  success  of  others  should  never 
make  us  envious.  It  should  only  stimulate  us  to 
do  better  work  ourselves  if  we  possibly  can. 

Barnabas  was  glad  to  cooperate  with  the 
workers  whom  he  had  been  sent  to  investigate. 


90    GENTILES  CONVERTED  AT  ANTIOCH 


He  exhorted  their  converts,  'Hhat  with  purpose 
of  heart  they  would  cleave  unto  the  Lord. ' '  This 
was  good  counsel.  They  had  begun  well,  listen- 
ing to  the  voice  of  the  preachers  and  accepting 
Jesus  Christ.  But  beginning  well  was  not  enough. 
They  must  continue  to  follow  Christ.  They  must 
cleave  unto  the  Lord.  The  words  are  very  sug- 
gestive. They  must  not  let  go  their  hold  upon 
Christ.  There  would  be  many  things  which  would 
try  their  faith,  but  they  must  still  cling  to  Christ. 
The  word  ' '  purpose ' '  is  important.  Mere  emotion 
is  of  small  account  in  this  world,  where  life  is 
ofttimes  so  hard.  It  takes  purpose,  fixed  pur- 
pose, to  enable  one  to  continue  faithful.  We  have 
an  example  of  purpose  in  Daniel — ^he  purposed 
in  his  heart  that  he  would  not  defile  himself  with 
the  king's  meat  and  drink.  He  made  the  purpose 
and  he  stuck  to  it.  It  is  quite  important  that 
young  Christians  should  have  purpose,  purpose 
of  heart,  and  that  they  shall  cleave  to  the  Lord 
through  all  temptations,  through  all  that  might 
loosen  their  hold  or  tend  to  draw  them  away  from 
Christ. 

The  passage  gives  a  word  of  commendation 
concerning  Barnabas.  It  is  not  often  that  the 
Bible  pays  compliments.  It  tells  the  good  things 
men  do,  but  it  says  very  little  about  the  men 
in  the  way  of  praise  or  commendation.  Here 
is  an  exception,  however.  The  Book  says  Barna- 
bas was  a  good  man.  Goodness  is  better  than 
greatness.    When  Walter  Scott  was  dying,  he  said 


ACTS  XI:  19-26  91 

to  a  friend  who  stood  by  liim,  ''Be  a  good  man." 
Many  men  are  great  and  not  good.  Their  fame 
is  widespread,  and  their  names  go  everywhere, 
but  they  are  not  good.  Goodness  means  excellence 
of  character.  The  name  God  is  simply  a  contrac- 
tion of  the  word  good.  Goodness  is  Godlikeness. 
A  good  man  is  patient,  gentle,  kindly,  hmnble. 
All  the  Beatitudes  live  in  him  and  work  out  their 
beauty  in  him.  He  is  full  of  gentle  ministries — 
Jesus  went  about  doing  good.  Whatever  else  we 
may  be  or  may  not  be  in  this  world,  we  should 
all  try  to  be  good.  Thus  we  shall  please  God  and 
bless  the  world. 

Barnabas  showed  his  goodness  and  faith  by 
going  after  Saul.  Together  they  remained  in 
Antioch,  helping  the  people.  For  a  year  they 
laboured.  This  work  was  successful.  Many  be- 
lieved. The  lives  of  the  converts  were  so  different 
from  their  unbelieving  neighbours  that  they  were 
called  Christians — the  first  time  this  name  had 
been  used.  It  is  supposed  that  the  name  was 
given  them  in  mockery  or  contempt  by  the  heathen 
people  of  Antioch.  They  were  all  the  while  using 
the  name  of  Christ  in  their  conversations,  in 
their  prayers,  in  their  hymns,  in  their  exhorta- 
tions. The  name  was  so  continually  upon  their 
lips  that  those  who  heard  them  began  in  jest 
to  call  them  ''Christians."  But  the  name  clung, 
and  is  now  used  universally  to  describe  those  who 
follow  Christ.  It  may  not  be  the  very  best  of 
names.     Perhaps    disciples    is    better — disciples 


92    GENTILES  CONVERTED  AT  ANTIOCH 

means  learners,  followers.  We  should  all  be  dis- 
ciples of  Christ  and  should  ever  be  learning  of 
Him,  growing  in  grace  and  likeness  to  Him  as  we 
follow  Him.  Perhaps  believers  is  a  better  name. 
It  carries  in  itself  the  thought  that  we  are  saved 
by  believing  on  Christ.  It  is  faith  that  works 
the  victories  in  this  world.  Perhaps  followers 
would  be  better.  To  follow  Christ  is  to  accept 
Him  as  Master  and  to  cling  to  Him  in  obedience 
and  devotion  wherever  we  may  go.  But  the  word 
' '  Christian, ' '  given  at  Antioch  as  a  sneer,  is  now 
used  everywhere.  It  is  full  of  meaning.  Those 
who  are  Christians  should  be  like  Christ.  They 
should  represent  Christ  in  the  world.  Those  who 
see  them  should  see  the  image  of  Christ  in  them. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

PETER  DELIVEEED  FROM  PRISON 

Read  Acts  XII :  1-17 

One  day  James  and  John  asked  Jesus  that  they 
might  be  given  exalted  positions  in  the  Master's 
Kingdom.  Mark  X :  37.  They  knew  not  what 
they  asked.  It  was  only  a  few  years  later  that 
Herod  killed  James  with  the  sword.  So  James 
got,  sooner  than  he  expected  and  in  a  way  far 
different  from  his  thought,  to  his  place  at  the 
right  hand  of  Jesus.  Verily  we  do  not  know  what 
we  are  asking  for  when  we  pray  for  nearness 
to  Christ,  or  for  high  places  in  His  Kingdom. 
Yet  James  has  never  regretted  the  path  by  which 
he  ascended.  His  work  was  soon  done,  but  death 
was  no  calamity  to  him,  as  it  only  exalted  him 
to  his  home  in  glory.  There  were  two  doors  to 
that  prison.  One  opened  out  into  the  city — the 
way  Peter  was  delivered;  the  other  opened  up- 
ward into  heaven — the  way  James  was  taken.  We 
pray  for  our  friends  in  sickness,  that  God  would 
restore  them  to  health.  Again,  there  are  two 
ways  in  which  the  prayer  may  be  answered.  God 
may  heal  our  friends  with  bodily  healing,  and  re- 
store them  to  us  in  this  world;  or  He  may  take 

98 


94     PETER  DELIVEEED  FROM  PRISON 

them  up  into  heaven,  into  eternal  health  and  bless- 
edness. A  man  who  had  been  an  invalid  all  his 
years  was  near  death.  A  friend  asked  him  how 
he  was,  and  his  answer  was,  *'I  am  almost  well." 

When  Herod  saw  that  his  action  in  taking  the 
life  of  James  pleased  the  Jews,  he  proceeded  to 
seize  Peter  also.  He  was  one  of  those  rulers  who 
was  swayed  by  public  feeling.  Nor  have  we  to 
go  among  the  rulers  to  find  the  same  spirit.  There 
are  plenty  of  people  everywhere  who  have  no 
settled  principles  of  their  own,  who  do  not  stop 
to  ask  what  is  right,  but  who  do  wait  to  know 
what  their  neighbours  will  say  or  think.  Even 
young  children  very  soon  begin  to  be  governed  by 
the  fashion.  We  had  better  get  the  lesson  here, 
that  the  true  thing  is  always,  not  what  will  please 
the  world  and  win  the  approval  of  our  fellow 
men,  but  what  God  would  have  us  do.  Men  who 
follow  public  opinion  are  like  ships  which  are  pro- 
pelled by  sails — going  whichever  way  the  wind 
blows.  Those  who  are  governed  by  principle  are 
like  the  vessels  with  fire  and  water  at  their  heart, 
which  do  not  depend  on  the  winds. 

Peter,  therefore,  was  kept  very  securely  in 
prison.  Herod  treated  him  as  a  dangerous  pris- 
oner. He  not  only  had  him  in  prison,  with  doors 
and  bolts  and  bars,  but  he  had  sixteen  soldiers 
to  guard  him,  four  at  a  time.  To  two  of  these 
he  was  always  fastened  by  chains  on  his  wrists, 
one  chain  binding  him  to  each  soldier,  so  that  he 
could  not  move  without  disturbing  the  soldier. 


ACTS  XII :  1-17  -        "95 

Why  were  such  extra  precautions  necessary  to 
guard  such  a  poor,  defenseless  man  as  Peter? 
Had  Herod  heard  the  story  of  a  former  imprison- 
ment of  this  same  man,  when  the  doors  were 
miraculously  opened  and  the  prisoner  released? 
Did  he  mean  to  defy  the  power  of  Peter's  God 
when  he  put  double  chains  on  him  and  kept  four 
armed  soldiers  on  guard  about  him  all  the  time? 
So  it  appears.  No  doubt  the  wicked  king  thought 
his  plan  perfectly  successful.  To-morrow  the  exe- 
cution would  take  place.  Men  plot  against  God, 
but  He  that  sits  in  heaven  laughs. 

While  Peter  was  in  prison,  his  friends  were 
praying  earnestly  for  him.  To  Herod's  power 
and  the  strength  of  his  prison  walls  and  chains, 
and  the  vigilance  of  his  soldiers,  they  opposed 
only  the  quiet  power  of  earnest,  importunate 
prayer.  They  made  no  appeal  to  public  diplo- 
macy, nor  did  they  think  of  using  any  force  to 
rescue  their  friend  from  prison.  They  stormed 
the  prison  through  the  gates  of  prayer.  The 
sequel  proves  and  illustrates  the  power  of  prayer. 
Men  talk  about  the  invariableness  and  unchange- 
ableness  of  the  laws  of  nature  as  if  God  had  no 
control  of  affairs  in  His  own  universe.  We  need 
not  give  ourselves  any  trouble  about  how  He  can 
answer  our  prayers — ^we  must  leave  that  to  Him ; 
but  we  may  as  well  settle  it  in  our  minds  once 
for  all  that  the  God  to  whom  we  talk  in  prayer 
can  do  whatsoever  pleaseth  Him.  He  can  always 
find  some  way  to  help  us  or  bring  deliverance 


96     PETER  DELIVERED  FROM  PRISON 

when  we  are  in  trouble.  We  must  not  conclude, 
however,  that  He  will  always  save  us  from  danger, 
as  He  saved  Peter.  No  doubt  the  disciples  prayed 
for  James,  too,  when  Herod  seized  him,  and  yet 
he  was  beheaded.  The  prayers  were  answered 
in  a  different  way;  he  was  supported  in  the  trial 
of  martyrdom,  and  his  release  was  not  through 
the  iron  gate  into  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  but 
through  the  gate  of  pearl  into  the  streets  of 
heaven.  If  Peter  had  been  executed,  who  could 
have  said  that  the  prayers  of  his  friends  were 
not  answered?  God  knows  how  best  to  answer 
our  requests,  and  all  true  prayer  submits  even  its 
most  earnest  petitions  to  the  divine  will. 

The  Bible  story  tells  us  most  realistically, 
*'the  same  night  Peter  was  sleeping  between  two 
soldiers,  bound  with  two  chains."  There  is  some- 
thing very  beautiful  in  this  picture.  The  time  is 
just  at  hand  for  Peter's  execution.  To-morrow 
he  is  to  be  brought  out  to  die  before  the  people. 
How  is  he  spending  his  last  night?  We  are  per- 
mitted to  look  in  upon  him  in  his  prison.  There 
he  lies  on  his  cell  floor.  Two  chains  bind  him, 
wrist  to  wrist,  to  two  guards.  But  there  is  no 
evidence  of  distress  in  that  cell.  Peter  is  sleep- 
ing in  quiet  confidence  and  peace.  If  we  could 
look  into  Herod's  palace,  it  is  not  likely  that  he, 
on  his  soft  bed,  with  his  luxury  and  liberty,  slept 
that  night  half  so  sweetly  as  did  Peter  in  his 
prison.  This  peace  is  possible  to  all  who  love 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.    ''Thou  wilt  keep  him  in 


ACTS  XII:  1-17  97 

perfect  peace,  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee. ' '  In 
a  great  freshet  on  the  Ohio,  some  men  in  a  skiff  s 
saw  in  the  center  of  the  broad  river,  amid  the 
wreckage  of  houses  and  fences  and  forests  and 
fields,  a  baby's  cradle  floating.  Eowing  to  it,  they 
found  the  baby  sleeping  there  as  sweetly  as  if  it 
had  been  lying  in  its  mother's  bosom.  So  in  the 
wildest  storms  the  believer  may  rest  in  the  love 
and  power  of  Christ. 

As  Peter  prayed,  '  ^  an  angel  of  the  Lord  stood 
by  him."  Tarry  a  moment  to  think  of  the  min- 
istry of  angels.  It  is  a  wonderful  thought  that 
these  good  spirits  from  heaven  are  continually 
bringing  help  to  Grod  's  people  on  the  earth ;  that 
they  serve  the  saints  in  countless  ways.  They 
can  go  anyw^here,  through  closed  doors  and  prison 
walls.  They  move  noiselessly  and  unseen.  They 
can  fill  even  a  cell  with  light.  They  can  knock 
off  fetters  and  open  doors  and  lead  us  out  of 
the  worst  perils.  They  are  our  friends  if  we  are 
Christ's  friends.  No  doubt  they  help  us  continu- 
ally, although  we  know  it  not;  and  preserve  us 
from  danger,  although  we  are  not  always  aware 
of  it.  The  most  real  things  in  this  world  are  the 
unseen  things.  I  believe  in  the  actual  presence 
and  help  of  angels.  They  wait  on  us,  and  guard 
our  home  and  guide  our  steps. 

"  Flitting,  flitting,  ever  near  thee. 
Sitting,  sitting,  by  thy  side. 
Angel  beings  guard  and  guide," 


98     PETER  DELIVERED  FROM  PRISON 

As  the  angel  stood  by  Peter,  **a  liglit  shined 
in  the  cell:  and  he  smote  Peter  on  the  side,  and 
awoke  him,  saying.  Rise  up  quickly."  "Wherever 
Christ's  messengers  go  there  is  light.  They  carry 
the  light  in  their  own  faces.  They  are  God's 
shining  ones.  Keble  fancies  that  the  apostle  was 
dreaming  in  his  last  sleep,  as  he  supposed,  of  the 
release  coming  to  him  on  the  morrow,  and  thought 
the  angel's  arousing  that  of  the  executioner  come 
to  call  him  out  to  die. 

His  dream  was  changed — the  tyrant's  voice 
Calls  to  that  last  of  glorious  deeds; 

But  as  he  rises  to  rejoice, 

Not  Herod,  but  an  angel  leads. 

Notice  here  by  way  of  illustration  that  many 
people  are  bound  with  chains — Abound  to  other 
men,  too,  ofttimes,  and  led  by  them  whithersoever 
they  will.  But  to  such  Christ's  messenger  comes, 
as  the  angel  came  to  Peter,  bidding  them  arise. 
And  if  they  obey,  the  chains  will  fall  off. 

In  eight  words  we  are  told  the  sequel.  The 
angel  said  to  Peter,  ''Follow  me.  And  he 
went  out,  and  followed.'^  That  is  all  we  have 
to  do  in  this  world — simply  to  follow  Christ,  or 
the  guide  He  may  send  to  lead  us.  We  have 
nothing  to  do  with  opening  the  way;  our  part 
is  only  to  follow  implicitly  and  unquestioningly, 
and  He  will  always  open  the  door  for  us.  This 
lesson  is  worth  heeding.  Here  is  a  Christian  man 
in  sore  perplexity.    He  cannot  free  himiself.    He 


ACTS  XII:  1-17  99 

can  see  no  way  out  of  the  entangling  ciroum- 
■stances.  He  is  just  like  Peter  that  night  in  his 
prison,  doors  bolted,  chains  on  his  hands,  stem 
guards  encircling  him.  Is  there  any  way  out  of 
such  environment?  Yes,  Christ  can  lead  him  out. 
All  that  is  needed  is  complete  surrender  to  Him, 
and  simple,  unquestioning,  absolute  obedience  and 
childlike  following  where  He  leads.  Chains  fall 
off  when  He  bids  us  rise  and  obey.  Prison  doors 
open  when  we  follow  Him.  Our  only  duty  is 
obedient  following;  He  does  all  the  rest. 

Peter  did  not  understand  at  first  who  the  friend 
was  that  was  taking  him  out.  Then  he  said, 
**Now  I  know  of  a  truth,  that  the  Lord  hath  sent 
forth  his  angel  and  delivered  me.'^  It  is  not  till 
they  are  gone  that  we  recognize  the  angels.  While 
they  are  with  us  we  do  not  know  them.  This  is 
true  of  many  of  the  blessings  God  sends  us.  We 
do  not  prize  the  worth  of  our  best  human  friends 
till  they  have  left  us.  Our  very  familiarity  with 
them  hides  from  our  eyes  the  excellencies  of  their 
character  and  the  value  of  their  helpfulness. 
They  grow  up  alongside  of  us  and  grow  into  our 
lives  so  gradually  and  unconsciously  that  we  do 
not  know  how  much  they  are  to  us,  how  we  lean 
upon  them,  how  many  doors  they  open  for  us, 
how  their  love  brightens  our  paths.  Suddenly 
they  vanish,  and  then  we  see  that  they  are  God's 
angels.  Their  plain  garb  at  once  appears  radiant 
with  glory  as  they  withdraw.  A  vacant  chair  is 
ofttimes  the  first  true  revealer  of  the  worth  of 


J 


100    PETER  DELIVERED  FROM  PRISON 

one  whose  presence  and  love  have  blessed  us  for 
vears. 

Peter  came  to  the  house  of  Mary  the  mother  of 
Mark.  In  answer  to  his  knock,  "a  maid  came 
to  answer,  named  Rhoda."  We  ought  to  get  a 
lesson  or  two  for  our  young  girls  from  this  little 
maidservant.  Her  work  was  lowly — only  attend- 
ing the  door,  but  she  had  her  reward  that  night. 
She  was  the  first  to  know  of  Peter's  release.  She 
seems  to  be  the  only  one  who  had  faith  enough 
to  believe  it  was  really  Peter.  Her  great  glad- 
ness shows  us  that  she  loved  Peter,  and  no  doubt 
had  been  praying  for  his  deliverance.  There  is 
one  thing  that  every  girl  should  learn  of  Rhoda — 
not  to  let  her  joy  run  away  with  her  wits.  A 
sensible  girl  would  have  opened  the  door  as  soon 
as  she  recognized  Peter's  voice;  but  she  was  so 
happy  that  she  ran  otf  to  tell  the  good  news,  and 
left  the  apostle  standing  outside  shivering  in  the 
cold.  "We  should  never  in  our  happiness  forget 
the  practical  duties  of  the  moment. 

This  maid,  Rhoda,  waited  not  to  greet  Peter, 
but  ran  in  and  told  that  Peter  stood  before  the 
gate.  And  they  said  unto  her,  "Thou  art  mad." 
They  had  been  praying  for  Peter's  release  or  de- 
liverance from  the  power  of  Herod.  Now  the 
answer  to  their  prayer  stood  before  the  gate, 
knocking  for  admission,  and  they  could  not  be 
convinced  that  it  was  their  friend.  That  is  often 
the  way  with  all  of  us.    When  the  answer  comes 


ACTS  XH:  1-17  101 

to  our  prayers — the  very  things  for  which  we  have 
been  praying — we  are  surprised,  and  cannot  be- 
lieve that  they  have  really  come.  No  doubt  we 
ofttimes  keep  the  answers  to  our  prayers  stand- 
ing outside  our  doors  and  knocking. 


CHAPTEE  XV 

THE  FIKST  CHKISTIAN  MISSIONARIES 

Read  Acts  XIII:  1-13 

We  are  told  that  'Hbere  were  at  Antiocli,  in  the 
church  that  was  there,  prophets  and  teachers." 
There  were  many  of  these,  more  than  were  needed 
for  the  work  at  home.  That  was  the  reason  some 
of  them  were  sent  out  to  work  elsewhere.  There 
are  a  great,  many  churches  nowadays  that  con- 
tain more  Christian  men  and  women,  capable  of 
effective  service,  than  can  possibly  find  work  in 
their  own  parish.  There  are  churches  many  of 
whose  members  are  well  educated,  able  to  teach 
in  Sunday  school,  to  speak  in  public,  and  conduct 
religious  services.  Ofttimes  only  a  little  handful 
of  these  are  actually  engaged  in  any  kind  of  Chris- 
tian work.  But  this  ought  not  to  be  so.  Every 
Christian  should  become  useful  at  once  and  con- 
tinue to  be  useful  in  some  way.  Every  church 
should  be  a  missionary  church.  In  cities,  espe- 
cially, there  are  needy  places  enough  to  occupy 
in  them  all  who  have  the  love  of  Christ  in  their 
hearts.  Those  who  are  not  needed  in  the  work 
of  the  Church  in  its  own  parish  should  find  places 

102 


ACTS  XIII:  1-13  103 

outside  where  they  can  help  build  up  the  King- 
dom of  Christ  and  save  souls.  The  time  is  com- 
ing, too,  when  single  churches  will  send  out  their 
own  missionaries  to  foreign  countries  to  carry  the 
gospel  there. 

There  seems  little  doubt  that  this  church  was 
considering  very  earnestly  at  this  time  its  duty 
to  the  outside  world,  and  was  engaged  in  a  spe- 
cial service,  imploring  guidance.  When  God  wants 
a  great  work  done  He  usually  puts  the  thought  of 
it  in  the  hearts  of  some  of  His  children,  and  then 
they  begin  to  pray  about  it.  As  they  think  and 
pray  the  burden  grows  heavier  continually,  and 
at  last  God  sends  the  answer.  This  passage  gath- 
ers intense  interest  from  the  fact  that  here  we 
see  the  very  birth  of  the  foreign  missionary  work 
of  the  Church.  The  apostles  and  other  Christians 
were  very  earnest  in  preaching  the  gospel,  but 
only  to  the  Jews.  The  disciples  were  driven  out 
of  Jerusalem  and  scattered,  and  went  everywhere 
preaching,  but  to  the  Jews  only.  The  church  at 
Antioch  was  the  first  Gentile  church  established, 
and  it  is  a  very  interesting  fact  that  in  this  Gen- 
tile church  the  first  effort  to  carry  the  gospel 
to  other  Gentiles  originated. 

God  is  always  ready  to  guide  those  who  seek 
His  guidance.  To  these  watching,  planning,  pray- 
ing people  at  Antioch  He  said,  by  His  Holy  Spirit, 
''Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work 
whereunto  I  have  called  them."  The  Lord  has  a 
plan  of  work  for  His  Church.    Foreign  missions 


104    FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONARIES 

was  no  accident.  It  was  not  merely  the  result 
of  enthusiasm  of  an  earnest  church.  It  was  part 
of  God's  plan.  The  part  which  these  two  men 
took  in  it  was  no  chance  part.  That,  too,  was  in 
Gk)d's  plan.  He  had  chosen  and  prepared  them 
for  that  very  duty.  Everyone's  work  is  defi- 
nitely marked  out  for  him  in  the  great  purpose 
of  God.  Men  are  not  bom  and  trained  just  to 
pick  up  anything  that  may  fall  to  their  hands  as 
they  go  through  life.  There  is  a  particular  some- 
thing which  everyone  was  bom  and  trained  to 
do.  What  it  is  we  may  not  know  till  God  puts 
the  work  in  our  hand,  but  He  knows  from  the 
first.  A  successful  life  is  one  which  does  just 
the  work  for  which  it  was  created — whereunto 
God  calls  it.  How  can  we  know  what  our  part 
is  in  God's  plan?  Only  by  submitting  ourselves 
to  the  divine  will  at  every  point,  and  faithfully 
doing  what  He  gives  day  by  day.  If  we  do  this 
He  will  lead  us  into  the  work  for  which  He  cre- 
ated and  redeemed  us.  The  way  these  men  proved 
their  fitness  for  the  new  and  greater  work  was 
by  doing  well  the  duties  that  were  given  to  them 
in  the  lowlier  place.  That  is  the  way  God  al- 
ways promotes  His  servants.  Those  who  prove 
themselves  faithful  and  efficient  in  humble  tasks 
will  get  larger  service  in  due  time  when  ready 
for  it.  Another  point  here  is,  that  Christ  wants 
the  best  workers  for  the  foreign  field.  Many 
think  that  any  poor  stick  is  good  enough  for 
preaching  to  the  heathen,  but  God  chose  the  best 


ACTS  XIII :  1-13  105 

men  for  His  most  difficult  work.  The  best  men 
are  needed  now  for  the  same  work. 

The  Christians  at  Antioch  did  as  God  directed. 
They  sent  away  Barnabas  and  Saul.  The  Church 
must  have  loved  these  men  who  had  been  their 
pastor  so  long;  yet  when  the  Spirit  asked  for 
them  for  this  new  work,  the  people  did  not  resist 
the  call.  They  did  not  say,  ''There  are  heathen 
here  in  Antioch ;  let  us  get  them  all  saved  first. ' ' 
That  is  the  way  people  talk  in  these  days.  They 
''don't  believe  in  foreign  missions,"  and  they  are 
continually  prating  about  their  zeal  for  home  mis- 
sions, and  pointing  to  the  unconverted  in  our  own 
towns  and  cities.  Surely,  if  there  ever  was  a  time 
when  this  plea  should  have  been  urged,  it  was 
when  this  first  missionary  was  talked  of.  Both 
fields  are  important,  but  the  heathen  countries 
must  not  be  compelled  to  wait  till  there  are  no 
sinners  remaining  at  home.  There  should  be  no 
rivalry  between  the  two  great  interests.  The  one 
receives  the  best  attention  when  the  other  is  not 
neglected.  A  church  that  does  nothing  for  for- 
eign missionary  work  very  soon  comes  to  doing 
nothing  for  home  or  any  other  kind  of  work. 

Barnabas  and  Saul  made  no  objection,  and  they 
did  not  delay.  ' '  So  they,  being  sent  forth  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,"  departed.  It  is  a  good  thing  to 
be  sent  forth  continually  to  our  work  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.  "Why  may  we  not  bef  Whatever  there 
may  have  been  unusual  and  special  in  these  early 
days  of  the  Church,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the 


106    FIEST  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONARIES 

Holy  Spirit  works  to-day  just  as  really  and  ef- 
fectively as  He  did  then.  No  one  need  go  any- 
where, into  any  field,  without  being  sent  forth 
by  the  Holy  Spirit.  "No  pastor  should  accept 
any  call  to  a  church  until  he  believes  that  he  is 
sent  there  of  God."  Then,  there  is  a  personal 
sending  which  is  also  very  real.  The  Spirit  sends 
us  each  time  we  go  forth  to  any  work,  to  any  duty. 
The  guidance  or  the  sending  becomes  minute,  a 
matter  of  detail.  A  dozen  times  a  day  we  may 
be  sent  forth  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  some  service 
of  love,  or  the  service  may  be  sent  to  us,  to  our 
very  door,  to  be  done  by  us.  If  we  learn  to  look 
continually  for  divine  direction,  and  then  always 
promptly  follow  and  obey  it,  we  shall  never  go 
without  a  blessing.  The  Spirit  never  merely  sends 
— ^He  goes  with  us  and  works  through  us. 

**They  had  also  John  as  their  attendant." 
This  was  John  Mark.  He  was  not  a  preacher,  or 
even  a  teacher.  He  was  only  an  attendant.  He 
went  along  with  the  missionaries  to  help  them 
in  any  way  he  could.  He  was  probably  a  servant 
to  wait  upon  them  personally.  This  suggests  to 
us  that  there  are  many  ways  of  helping  in  the 
Lord's  work  besides  being  preachers.  Mark  did 
not  preach  anywhere,  so  far  as  we  know,  and  yet 
he  was  very  helpful.  Boys  and  young  men  get 
a  special  suggestion  from  this  young  man.  If 
they  cannot  be  teachers  or  preachers,  they  can 
be  attendants,  and  can  find  a  great  deal  to 
do  in  the  Lord's  work.     Samuel  ** ministered" 


ACTS  XIII :  1-13  107 

unto  the  Lord  about  the  temple  when  he  was  only 
a  little  child.  Of  course,  he  could  not  do  the 
priests '  work  yet,  as  he  was  too  young,  but  there 
were  many  things  he  could  do — attend  the  doors, 
look  after  the  lamps,  and  run  errands  for  the 
old  priest.  So  there  are  many  things  the  youngest 
Christian  can  do  for  Christ.  To  be  even  only  an 
'* attendant"  in  the  work  for  Christ  is  a  high 
honour  and  privilege.  One  evening,  at  an  open-air 
service,  I  saw  a  young  man  holding  a  lantern 
that  another  one,  who  was  reading  the  Bible,  could 
see  the  book.  He  could  not  speak  in  public  him- 
self, but  he  could  help  the  minister  by  holding  the 
light  for  him.  There  are  many  such  ways  of 
helping  others  to  do  Christ's  work. 

After  a  time  the  missionaries  had  an  adven- 
ture. "Elymas  the  sorcerer  .  .  .  withstood 
them,  seeking  to  turn  aside  the  proconsul  from  the 
faith."  It  is  a  grievous  sin  to  try  to  turn  any 
believer  from  the  faith ;  yet  there  are  at  all  times 
those  who  try  to  do  this.  They  try  to  put  a  doubt 
on  the  religion  of  Christ.  They  seek  to  make 
people  believe  there  is  no  reality  in  the  things 
which  they  believe,  or  they  offer  inducements  to 
Christians  to  go  elsewhere.  At  the  present  time 
the  air  is  full  of  skepticism  and  doubts  of  all 
sorts.  People  who  are  unbelievers  themselves  try 
to  keep  their  friends  from  coming  with  us.  The 
Devil  is  at  this  same  sort  of  work  yet.  First  he 
comes  with  pretended  wisdom  and  offers  to  guide 
seeking  souls  himself,  but  leads  them  farther  and 


108     FIRST  CHRISTIAN  MISSIONARIES 

farther  away  from  the  truth.  Then,  when  the 
voice  of  true  wisdom  comes  and  offers  to  show 
them  the  right  way,  he  interferes  and  tries  to 
hinder  them  from  listening  to  or  believing  what 
is  said.  If  the  Devil  can  only  keep  human  souls 
from  Christ,  or  can  turn  them  away  from  the 
faith  after  they  have  heard  Him,  the  Devil  is 
satisfied. 

Saul — ''who  is  also  called  Paul" — rebuked 
him'i,  and  said,  ''The  hand  of  the  Lord  is  upon 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  blind  .  .  .  for  a  sea- 
son." It  was  the  Lord,  and  not  Paul,  who  had 
inflicted  this  judgment,  for  we  are  told  that  Paul 
was  specially  "filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit"  when 
he  said  this.  The  punishment  itself  was  to  Elymas 
an  outward  emblem  of  his  actual  spiritual  condi- 
tion. He  was  only  a  blind  man  professing  to 
be  a  guide  to  others.  So  his  natural  eyes  were 
darkened  that  he  might  be  made  to  realize  his 
inner  blindness.  There  was  also  in  his  punish- 
ment a  disclosure  of  the  kind  of  doom  those  bring 
on  themselves  who  shut  their  eyes  to  the  holy 
light  of  truth.  He  is  here  warned  that  the  result 
of  such  perverse  refusal  to  see,  if  persisted  in, 
will  be  total  inability  to  see  at  all.  Dr.  William 
T,  Taylor  mentions  in  illustration  the  account 
given  in  Roman  history  of  one  who  had  been  pro- 
scribed, and  who,  to  save  his  life,  disguised  him- 
self by  wearing  a  patch  over  one  eye.  A  good 
while  after,  when  there  was  no  longer  any  dan- 
ger, he  removed  the  patch,  but  in  vain,  for  the 


ACTS  XIII:  1-13  109 

sight  was  gone.  So,  if  men  stubbornly  shut  their 
hearts  against  the  truth,  the  light  that  is  in  them 
will  become  darkness.  It  is  a  terrible  thing  to 
resist  the  truth  of  God;  it  is  still  worse  to  try 
to  lead  other  souls  in  false  paths. 

Paul's  word  was  fulfilled.  Immediately  the 
sorcerer  was  stricken  with  blindness.  Seeing  this, 
the  proconsul  believed.  So,  after  all,  good  came 
out  of  the  apparition  of  the  sorcerer.  It  was  the 
manifestation  of  the  divine  power  through  the 
missionaries,  in  the  punishment  of  Elymas,  that 
led  Paulus  to  believe.  This  power  would  not  have 
been  manifested  had  not  the  sorcerer  resisted  Paul 
and  Barnabas.  Thus  God  overruled  the  evil  effort 
of  this  *'son  of  the  devil."  He  sought  to  keep 
the  proconsul  from  believing;  but  became  the 
means  of  compelling  him  to  believe.  Thus  God 
is  always  overruling  the  evil  of  the  world,  and 
makes  even  the  wrath  of  Satan  glorify  Him.  It 
is  better  sometimes  to  have  opposition  when  we 
try  to  be  good.  Sergius  Paulus  probably  would 
not  have  believed  at  all  had  it  not  been  for  the 
sorcerer's  rage  and  punishment. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE  COUNCIL  AT  JERUSALEM 

Read  Acts  XV:  1-5,  22-29 

It  is  easy  to  start  quarrels.  There  are  some  peo- 
ple who  make  trouble  wherever  they  go.  They 
seem  always  to  be  watching  for  something  to  find 
fault  with.  Instead  of  being  peacemakers,  seeking 
ever  to  allay  strife  and  bring  together  those  who 
are  in  danger  of  falling  apart,  they  go  about  sow- 
ing seeds  of  dissension  and  starting  quarrels. 

We  have  an  illustration  of  this  in  the  story 
of  this  Antioch  church.  Everything  was  prosper- 
ous and  happy.  But  one  day  some  strangers  ap- 
peared and  worked  their  way  in  among  the  Chris- 
tians. They  had  come  from  Jerusalem.  They 
were  Christians,  but  not  the  right  kind  of  Chris- 
tians. They  had  not  learned  the  large  lesson 
of  Christian  love — that  the  gospel  is  for  the  whole 
world.  At  once  they  began  to  make  trouble  in 
the  peaceful  Antioch  church.  They  told  the  Gen- 
tiles that  they  could  not  be  saved  unless  they 
first  became  Jews.  We  should  beware  of  the  dan- 
ger of  trying  to  force  others  into  our  own  way 
of  receiving  the  grace  of  Christ. 

This  was  a  time  of  crisis  in  the  history  of 

110 


ACTS  XV:  1-5,  22-29  111 

Christianity.  It  would  have  been  easy  to  split 
the  church.  But  wise  counsels  prevailed.  The 
EDoly  Spirit  ruled  in  the  hearts  of  believers  and 
led  them  to  make  a  peaceful  course.  A  council 
was  called  and  the  matter  was  calmly  considered. 
This  was  a  most  important  council.  If  the  Jewish 
idea  was  to  prevail,  the  progress  of  the  church 
would  be  very  slow.  If,  however,  the  other  view 
should  prevail,  and  the  doors  be  thrown  open  to 
all,  so  that  whosoever  would  might  enter  and  en- 
joy its  privileges,  then  the  largest  prosperity 
would  be  assured. 

It  is  wise  when  Christian  people  have  differ- 
ences to  get  together  and  talk  them  over.  If  this 
is  done  in  good  temper  and  a  kindly  spirit,  it  is 
generally  possible  to  reach  a  peaceful  conclusion. 
That  is  what  these  Christians  did.  As  they  did  so, 
new  light  broke  upon  the  question  they  were  con- 
sidering. Paul  and  Barnabas  told  what  God  had 
done  at  Antioch.  Peter  related  his  experiences. 
James,  who  was  presiding,  made  some  conciliatory 
remarks  and  gave  his  advice.  The  result  was  that 
the  danger  was  averted,  all  agreeing  on  a  course 
which  showed  wisdom  and  love. 

The  decision  was  that  a  commission  should  be 
sent  to  Antioch  with  a  kindly  letter.  There  were 
four  things  it  was  decided  they  should  require  of 
the  Gentile  Christians.  Even  some  of  these  re- 
quirements were  only  concessions  to  Jewish  senti- 
ment and  not  essential  to  the  spiritual  life.  We 
should  have  patience  with  other  people's  opinions 


112      THE  COUNCIL  AT  JERUSALEM 

when  they  differ  from  ours.  Some  of  us  are  apt 
to  be  too  severe  with  what  we  think  mere  preju- 
dices. When  persons  have  been  brought  up  from 
infancy  under  certain  influences  and  teachings, 
their  beliefs  have  become  part  of  themselves,  and 
it  is  not  easy  for  them  to  give  them  up  at  once. 
We  must  beware  that  our  liberty  does  not  become 
intolerant  and  despotic. 

The  treatment  of  the  whole  matter  in  this  coun- 
cil shows  us  the  beauty  of  mutual  concession  in 
all  nonessentials.  The  truth  must  never  be  given 
up,  but  the  truth  must  be  held  in  love.  We  must 
be  patient  even  toward  prejudices,  and  with  what 
we  may  call  bigotry. 

Some  points  in  this  letter  we  should  study. 
A  rebuke  was  given  to  those  who  tried  to  com- 
pel the  Grentile  Christians  to  do  things  not  re- 
quired by  our  Lord's  teaching.  ''We  have  heard 
that  certain  who  went  out  from  us  have  troubled 
you  with  words,  subverting  your  souls."  We 
should  guard  against  meddling  with  the  spiritual 
life  of  others.  If  we  should  judge  others  less,  and 
try  to  encourage,  cheer  and  build  up  all  our 
fellow  Christians  in  faith  and  love,  we  would  do 
better  service. 

The  letter  assured  these  Gentile  Christians 
also  that  those  in  conference  had  all  come  "to 
one  accord."  That  was  something  wonderful, 
when  we  think  of  the  difference  of  opinion  among 
the  members  of  this  council  when  they  first  met. 
The  Holy  Spirit  was  evidently  in  their  midst, 


ACTS  XV:  1-5,  22-29  113 

moving  their  minds  and  hearts,  and  they  had  love, 
the  one  to  the  other,  which  inclined  them  to  re- 
spect each  the  other's  opinion. 

The  lesson  is  one  that  should  be  well  learned 
and  diligently  practiced  on  all  occasions  where 
Christian  people  meet  together.  Good  men  who 
think  at  all  differ  in  opinion  on  most  subjects. 
No  true  fellowship  can  be  got  anywhere  save  by 
mutual  concession.  It  is  not  right  either  that 
all  the  conceding  should  be  done  on  one  side — 
both  sides  should  vie  in  their  spirit  of  tolerance.  v^ 
Even  in  the  truest  home,  the  only  basis  of  per-  \/ 
feet  accord  is  mutual  yielding  in  love.  Where 
one  stands  up,  in  stubborn  self-will,  for  his  per- 
sonal rights,  and  demands  that  all  the  others 
shall  submit  to  him,  loving  fellowship  is  impos- 
sible. There  may  be  the  peace  of  despotism,  but 
not  the  peace  of  love. 

Paul  and  Barnabas  had  just  come  back  from 
the  mission  field,  and  they  bore  the  marks  of  suf- 
fering. Elsewhere,  St.  Paul,  referring  to  this 
journey,  speaks  of  bearing  in  his  body  "the  marks  , 
of  Jesus."  He  was  thinking  of  the  stonings  and 
scourgings,  and  the  hardships  and  sufferings  en-  . 
dured  as  a  missionary. 

There  are  things  from  which  Christians  should  . 
keep  themselves — things  which  may  not  be  sinful 
in  themselves,  but  which  would  lower  the  tone  of 
spiritual  life  and  hurt  the  soul.  One  essential  ' 
point  of  pure  religion  is  to  keep  ourselves  un- 
spotted from  the  world.  There  are  things  we  dare 
8 


114      THE  COUNCIL  AT  JERUSALEM 

not  touch  if  we  would  preserve  our  souls  in  purity. 
There  are  companionships  we  must  not  let  into 
our  life,  even  for  an  hour,  if  we  would  get  the 
beatitude  of  purity  which  our  Lord  promises. 
There  are  things  which  seem  pleasant,  but  which 
end  in  death. 

"Look,  father,'^  cried  a  child,  ''at  the  beauti- 
ful berries  I  have  found.  ^'  The  color  fled  from 
the  father's  face  as  he  asked,  with  much  alarm, 
''Have  you  eaten  any  of  them,  my  child?"  "No, 
father;  not  one."  And  as  she  gave  the  berries 
into  her  father's  hand  to  be  destroyed,  tears  were 
in  her  eyes  as  she  asked,  "Why,  father,  what  are 
they  ? ' '  Her  father  answered,  ' '  They  are  the  ber- 
ries of  the  deadly  nightshade."  The  child  did 
not  know  the  death  that  was  hidden  in  the  berries. 
The  world's  pleasures  look  very  attractive  to  the 
eyes  of  some,  but  ofttimes  there  lies  deadly  poison 
under  their  fascinating  beauty. 


!'^ 


CHAPTER  XVn 

PAUL  BEFORE   KING  AGRIPPA 

Bead  Acts  XXVI:  1-30;  also  19-32 

Saul  the  Pharisee,  who  consented  to  the  death 
of  Stephen  (Acts  VIII:  1),  immediately  gave  him- 
self to  persecuting  the  Christians.  Unless  all  he 
had  been  taught  wias  false,  every  believer  in 
Christ  was  a  transgressor  of  the  law,  and  to 
the  support  of  the  law  Paul  had  devoted  his  life. 
Only  when  his  eyes  were  opened  by  Christ  did 
he  see  his  mistake.  This  should  be  remembered 
when  we  are  tempted  to  be  uncharitable  in  our 
interpretation  of  motives  which  we  condemn. 
Many  of  those  with  whose  conduct  Christian  men 
and  women  disagree  are  not  willfully  wrong- 
doers— some  of  them  are  merely  misguided.  This 
does  not  excuse  them,  but  it  is  a  claim  on  our 
charity. 

Years  after  Paul  had  learned  his  error,  he 
told  Agrippa  the  story  of  his  conversion.  He 
described  the  vision  and  told  of  the  words  of 
Christ,  and  added,  ''I  was  not  disobedient  unto 
the  heavenly  vision.'*  It  was  a  vision  of  Christ 
that  Paul  saw.  He  knew  now  that  Jesus  was  the 
Messiah,    and   turned   at   once   to   follow   Him. 

115 


116       PAUL  BEFORE  KING  AGRIPPA 

Heavenly  visions  come  to  all  young  people,  in- 
viting them  away  from  evil  and  from  earthliness 
to  pure,  good,  true  and  divine  things.  The  Chris- 
tian mother's  teachings,  as  she  holds  her  little 
one  on  her  knee  and  talks  to  it  of  Jesus,  places 
before  the  young  eyes  a  vision  of  the  Saviour 
in  His  beauty  and  grace  and  love.  Every  ser- 
mon in  which  Christ  is  lifted  up  sets  the  vision 
before  the  young  listener.  How  often  do  the 
tears  of  childhood  and  youth  flow  as  the  Saviour 
is  seen  in  mental  vision  on  the  cross !  The  Holy 
Spirit  also  brings  the  vision  in  all  its  vividness 
before  the  eyes — the  lovely,  suffering,  dying,  glori- 
fied Jesus. 

Doctor  Doddridge,  in  his  life  of  Colonel  Gardi- 
ner, describes  the  conversion  of  the  wicked  soldier. 
He  was  waiting  near  midnight,  the  hour  fixed 
for  a  sinful  meeting  with  another,  and  was  care- 
lessly turning  over  the  pages  of  a  religious  book, 
when  suddenly  he  saw  before  him,  vivid  and 
clear,  the  form  of  the  Redeemer  on  His  cross, 
and  heard  Him  speak,  "All  this  I  have  done  for 
thee ;  and  is  this  thy  return  ? ' '  Like  Paul,  he  was 
not  disobedient  to  the  heavenly  vision,  but  from 
that  moment  followed  Christ.  That  is  what  every 
one  of  us  should  do ;  when  we  see  Christ  and  hear 
His  voice,  we  should  straightway  leave  all  and  go 
after  Him. 

Not  only  at  the  beginning,  but  all  the  way 
through  life,  God  sends  us  visions  to  guide  us. 
Every  time  we  see  in  a  verse  of  Scripture  a 


ACTS  XXVI:  1-30;  ALSO  19-32  117 

glimpse  of  something  beautiful  commended,  it  is 
a  heavenly  vision  given  to  us  to  lead  us  to  the 
beauty  it  shows.  Every  fragment  of  loveliness 
we  see  in  a  human  life  is  a  heavenly  vision  sent 
to  woo  us  upward.  Wherever  we  see  beauty 
which  attracts  us  and  kindles  in  us  desires  and 
aspirations  for  higher  attainments,  it  is  a  vision 
from  God,  whose  mission  is  to  call  us  to  a  higher 
life.  We  should  not  prove  disobedient  to  any 
heavenly  vision,  but  should  follow  everyone  as 
an  angel  sent  from  heaven  to  woo  us  nearer  God. 

It  is  thus  every  true  artist  works.  He  dreams 
dreams  and  sees  visions,  and  then  seeks  to  put 
on  canvas  or  in  marble  his  dreams  and  visions. 
Every  great  and  noble  thing  anyone  does  is  first 
a  vision  in  his  soul,  to  which  he  surrenders  him- 
self. All  Paul's  life  was  a  struggle  toward  the 
realization  of  the  vision  that  he  saw  at  Damascus. 
''One  thing  I  do,  forgetting  the  things  which  are 
behind,  and  stretching  forward  to  the  things 
which  are  before,  I  press  on  toward  the  goal  unto 
the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus."  He  saw  ever  before  him  the  vision  of 
the  perfect  character  of  Christ,  and  put  forth 
every  energy  of  his  life  to  realize  it  in  himself. 
So  should  we  all  do. 

Soon  after  Paul  saw  his  vision  he  began  the 
work  of  preaching  Christ,  whose  followers  he 
had  persecuted.  He  went  to  the  people  of  Damas- 
cus and  Jerusalem  and  Judasa,  Jews  and  Gentiles 
alike,  and  ''declared    .    .    .    that  they  should 


118       PAUL  BEFORE  KING  AGRIPPA 

repent  and  turn  to  God."  Repenting  is  not 
merely  giving  up  one's  sins;  it  is  also  turning 
to  God.  The  sinner  needs  to  turn  to  God  for 
mercy  and  for  refuge  from  tlie  divine  wrath 
against  sin.  He  must  also  return  to  God  as  a 
prodigal  returns  to  his  father  and  his  home.  He 
must  turn  to  God  in  life,  in  obedience,  in  heart, 
in  love,  in  spirit.  A  Christian  is  one  who  has 
truly  left  his  sins  and  is  now  walking  with  God, 
doing  God's  will  and  growing  into  Christ's  like- 
ness. Therefore,  repentance  is  not  a  mere  pass- 
ing emotion  of  regret.  It  is  not  mere  sorrow 
that  the  sin  has  been  found  out.  It  is  really  an 
abandonment  of  the  old  life  and  an  acceptance  of 
God  as  the  Master  of  the  new  life,  and  the  turn- 
ing of  heart  and  soul  after  Him. 

But  Paul  told  the  people  they  must  not  stop 
with  repentance,  they  must  do  ^' works  worthy  of 
repentance."  We  have  a  right  to  ask  every  pro- 
fessing Christian  to  prove  that  he  is  a  Christian. 
His  mere  statement  is  not  sufficient.  He  must 
give  the  evidence  in  his  life;  and  the  evidence 
that  will  prove  it  beyond  doubt  will  be  faithful- 
ness in  every  day's  duties,  consistency  in  every 
day's  conduct,  and  moral  beauty  in  all  the  de- 
velopments of  the  character.  Religion  is  very 
practical.  Christian  life  is  nothing  if  it  is  only 
a  fine  sentiment.  It  must  touch  and  affect  every 
part  of  our  being.  It  must  work  into  all  the  re- 
lations, experiences  and  duties  of  our  common 
days. 


ACTS  XXVI:  1-30;  ALSO  19-32  119 

When  Paul  stood  before  Agrippa,  it  was 
twenty-five  years  after  his  conversion.  They  had 
been  years  of  toilsome  life,  amid  enemies  and 
dangers;  but  the  heroic  old  apostle  had  never 
given  up,  never  faltered,  never  turned  aside.  It 
was  a  great  record,  but  he  takes  no  praise  to  him- 
self. The  help  came  from  God  for  all  these  years 
of  witnessing.  Many  young  people  are  afraid  to 
set  out  on  a  Christian  life,  because,  foreseeing  its 
dangers,  they  dread  them  and  fear  that  they  will 
not  be  able  to  stand  faithful  and  true  to  the  end. 
Here  is  a  word  for  all  such :  They  shall  obtain 
help  from  God  for  every  duty,  for  every  hour  of 
danger,  for  every  struggle.  They  need  only  to 
be  faithful  day  by  day,  doing  the  day's  duty 
quietly,  and  trusting  God.  This  help  will  come 
from  Him,  silently,  secretly,  just  as  it  is  needed, 
always  grace  sufficient,  so  that  they  shall  be  able 
to  stand  year  after  year.  God  never  puts  a  bur- 
den on  us  without  giving  us  the  strength  we  need 
to  carry  it,  unless  we  reject  the  offered  help.  The 
way  to  obtain  help  of  God  is  to  go  faithfully  and 
promptly  forward  in  the  way  of  duty,  asking  for 
the  help,  and  sure  of  getting  it.  It  will  not  come 
if  we  wait  to  get  it  before  we  set  out  to  do  His 
will. 

Paul  explained  to  Agrippa  that  he  had  not 
abandoned  his  old  religion  for  a  new.  Chris- 
tianity is  the  ripe  fruit  of  which  Judaism  was 
the  bud  and  blossom.  Moses  and  the  prophets 
preached  the  same  gospel  that  Paul  did.     The 


120       PAUL  BEFORE  KING  AGEIPPA 

Bible  is  one  book.  The  same  streams  of  promise 
and  hope  flow  tbrongb  all  its  parts,  only  that  in 
the  Old  Testament  they  flow  underground,  and 
in  the  New  they  burst  out  in  the  sight  of  all  men. 
Abraham  was  saved  just  as  we  are,  only  he  saw 
Christ  merely  by  faith,  and  dimly,  a  Saviour 
promised;  and  we  see  Him  clearly,  a  Saviour 
who  has  come  and  finished  His  work. 

Festus,  who  was  with  Agrippa  when  Paul  told 
his  marvelous  story,  said,  ''Paul,  thou  art  mad." 
That  is  the  way  earnestness  in  religion  is  re- 
warded by  the  world.  They  said  Christ  was 
crazy — His  own  family  thought  He  was,  and 
once  tried  quietly  to  get  Him  home.  Festus  said 
Paul  was  insane.  But  who  was  the  madman  that 
day — Paul,  who  believed  on  Christ  and  was  living 
for  the  invisible  things ;  or  Festus,  who  sat  there 
and  sneered?  Who  is  mad  now — the  devout  and 
fervent  Christian,  or  the  worldly  scoffer  and  re- 
viler?  There  is  no  madness  like  that  which  dis- 
believes in  the  realities  of  eternity  and  rejects 
the  yearning,  mighty  love  of  Christ.  Men  really 
only  come  to  themselves  when  they  awake  to  their 
true  condition  as  lost  sinners  and  return  to  God 
their  Father. 

Agrippa  seems  to  have  been  affected  differ- 
ently. He  said  to  Paul,  "With  but  little  per- 
suasion thou  wouldst  fain  make  me  a  Christian. ' ' 
Perhaps  we  cannot  be  absolutely  sure  whether 
these  words  were  a  sneer  or  whether  they  were 
meant  to  hide  conviction.     No  matter:  it  was 


ACTS  XXVI :  1-30 ;  ALSO  19-32  121 

Agrippa's  one  great  opportunity  for  salvation, 
and  he  threw  it  away.  Such  opportunity  comes 
to  all.  Every  lost  one  was  at  one  time  on  the 
very  edge  of  salvation.  Fear  drives  some  almost 
to  the  point  of  fleeing  to  Christ.  Or,  the  love 
of  Christ  almost  wins  them.  Or,  the  truth  faith- 
fully presented  and  pressed  into  their  hearts  leads 
them  almost  to  decision.  They  reach  the  door, 
but  do  not  enter.  There  is  a  story  of  a  prodigal 
who  turned  homeward  and  traversed  weary  miles, 
until  he  had  his  hand  on  the  knocker  of  his  father's 
door,  and  then  withdrew  it,  and  turned  away 
again,  plunging  into  deeper  sin  and  shame.  *^  Al- 
most" is  a  hopeful  condition.  One  is  very  near. 
A  step  more  and  he  would  be  inside.  Yet  it  is 
not  a  safe  condition.  A  woman  was  lost  in  the 
mountains.  All  night  she  wandered,  seeking  the 
way  home.  At  length  she  sank  down  and  died 
as  the  dawn  was  breaking.  In  the  morning  they 
found  her  but  a  few  steps  from  the  door  of  the 
hotel  which  she  had  been  struggling  to  reach. 
Close  about  heaven's  gates  millions  of  souls  perish 
— almost  saved,  yet  lost!  God  wants  us  to  be 
altogether  Christians.  Almost  will  not  avail. 
How  terrible  the  thought,  forever,  to  the  lost 
sinner,  that  he  was  once  so  nearly  saved,  and  yet 
lost  for  all  eternity! 

Paul's  answer  to  Agrippa  came  from  the 
heart.  *'I  would  to  God  ...  all  that  hear 
me  .  .  .  might  become  such  as  I  am,  except 
these  bonds. "    It  is  not  enough  that  we  are  saved 


122       PAUL  BEFORE  KING  AGRIPPA 

ourselves ;  we  must  be  propagators  of  the  gospel ; 
we  must  try  to  save  our  lost  fellows.  Paul  knew 
he  had  something  which  Agrippa  and  the  others 
had  not.  Somietimes  Christians  forget  that  they 
are  children  of  God  and  heirs  of  God,  that  they 
have  eternal  life,  that  heaven  is  theirs.  They 
go  about  hanging  their  heads  in  the  presence  of 
those  who  are  not  Christians,  almost  as  if  apolo- 
gizing for  being  Christians.  But  even  in  the 
presence  of  a  king,  the  govemour,  and  the  other 
people  of  rank,  Paul  was  conscious  that  he  was 
far  richer  than  they  were,  had  a  higher  rank. 
He  had  something  they  had  not,  and  to  possess 
which  would  greatly  add  to  their  happiness  and 
honour.  If  all  Christians  had  this  realization  of 
their  dignity,  honour  and  noble  rank,  it  would 
greatly  add  to  their  power  in  impressing  Chris- 
tianity upon  the  world  and  in  urging  others  to 
come  with  them  into  the  same  blessed  life. 

Perhaps  Agrippa 's  answer  to  Paul's  earnest 
words  showed  how  he  was  impressed,  "This 
man  might  have  been  set  at  liberty,  if  he  had 
not  appealed  unto  Caesar."  So  it  looked  as  if 
Paul  had  made  a  mistake  in  appealing  to  Caesar. 
This  made  it  necessary  that  he  should  be  sent 
to  Rome.  It  would  have  seemed  better  that  he 
should  at  once  be  released  from  prison,  that  he 
might  go  out  to  preach.  But  there  was  another 
Hand,  not  a  human  hand,  that  was  at  work  un- 
seen those  days  amid  the  comlplicated  movements 
of  things.     God's  plan  was  being  wrought  out 


ACTS  XXVI :  1-30 ;  ALSO  19-32  123 

in  spite  of,  even  in  and  through,  men's  enmities 
and  persecutions.  Paul  had  a  mission  in  Rome. 
He  was  wanted  to  carry  the  gospel  there.  Had 
he  been  released  at  this  time  he  would  probably 
have  been  seized  again  by  the  Jews  and  might 
have  fallen  a  victim  to  their  rage  and  hatred, 
thus  ending  his  work.  His  appeal  made  it  neces- 
sary that  the  Roman  Government  should  take  him 
to  Rome.  Thus  he  was  sure  of  protection  and 
was  carried  to  the  world's  capital  without  ex- 
pense, that  he  might  there  preach  the  gospel. 
Thus  Rome  itself  became  a  helper  in  extending 
Christ's  Kingdom.  We  shall  see,  as  we  read  on, 
what  good  and  blessing  came  out  of  this  which 
seemied  that  day  an  unfortunate  thing,  a  hin- 
drance. God's  plans  for  our  lives  are  always 
good,  and  we  need  only  to  help  Him  work  them 
out. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Paul's  voyage  and  shipwkeck 

Read  Acts  XXVII 

Paul  had  been  eager  to  go  to  Rome.  His  eager- 
ness was  not  that  of  a  tourist  or  explorer,  but 
that  of  one  constrained  by  the  love  of  Christ, 
desiring  to  carry  the  gospel  to  the  world's  great 
capital.  At  last  his  longing  is  being  realized. 
He  is  going  to  Rome,  but  in  a  strange  way.  He 
is  going  as  a  prisoner.  The  remarkable  provi- 
dence in  this  is  that  he  was  carried  on  his  great 
missionary  errand  at  the  cost  of  Rome  itself. 

Paul  was  the  only  man  on  the  ship  whose 
hope  and  courage  did  not  fail  in  the  storm  which 
overtook  them.  In  the  midst  of  the  tempest  an 
angel  stood  by  him  and  assured  him  that  he  must 
be  brought  before  Caesar,  which  meant  that  he 
could  not  perish  in  the  sea.  He  was  assured  also 
that  for  his  sake  all  on  board  should  escape, 
though  the  ship  should  be  lost. 

At  first  sight,  it  seems  a  contradiction.  Paul, 
noting  the  attempts  of  sailors  to  escape  in  one 
of  the  ship's  boats,  said,  ^'Except  these  abide  in 
the  ship,  ye  cannot  be  saved.'*  Yet  Paul  had  said 
before  that  there  should  be  no  loss  of  life  on  the 

124 


ACTS  XXVn  125 

ship.    He  had  received  this  assurance,  too,  from 
an  angel  of  God.     If  it  was  the  divine  purpose 
that  no  life  should  perish  in  this  storm,  why  did 
Paul  say  here  that  unless  the  seamen  stood  at 
their  posts  the  passengers  could  not  be  saved? 
The  divine  assurance  of  safety  did  not  do  away 
with  the  use  of  all  proper  means  for  securing 
deliverance.    Indeed,  it  implied  that  these  means 
should  be  used.     We  say  that  every  man's  life 
is  a  plan  of  God — that  God's  plan  extends  to 
the  most  minute  things  in  our  condition  and  cir- 
cumstances.     We  can  defeat  God's  purpose  fori' 
us — we  always  do  defeat  it  when  we  fail  to  do|  J 
our  part.     The  purpose  of  God  here  was  thatf; 
Paul,  and  all  with  him  on  the  ship,  should  reach  . 
the  shore  in  safety;  but  the  fulfillment  of  His  'i\ 
purpose  depended  upon  the  faithfulness  of  those '  [ 
who  had  the  care  of  the  ship. 

Paul's  appeal  had  its  effect.  ''The  soldiers 
cut  away  the  ropes  of  the  boat,  and  let  her  fall 
off."  The  sailors  had  let  the  boat  down,  intend- 
ing to  escape  in  it.  The  soldiers  foiled  their  plan 
by  cutting  the  ropes  and  letting  the  boat  drift 
off.  Thus  the  sailors  were  kept  on  the  ship  and 
compelled  to  do  their  duty.  There  is  a  story  . 
of  a  little  girl  with  a  warm  heart  for  dumb  ani- 
mals, who  prayed  that  the  rabbits  might  not  be 
caught  in  her  brother's  traps.  After  praying 
very  earnestly,  she  whispered  to  her  mother  that 
she  knew  they  could  not  be  caught.  When  her 
mother  asked  her  why  she  was  so  sure,  she  said 


126    PAUL'S  VOYAGE  AND  SHIPWRECK 

she  had  destroyed  the  traps.  We  must  work  as 
well  as  pray. 

Paul's  common  sense  appeared  again  a  little 
later.  ''While  the  day  was  coming  on,  Paul  be- 
sought them  all  to  take  some  food."  For  four- 
teen days  they  had  been  fasting,  eating  but  little, 
losing  rest  and  sleep,  and  without  regular  food. 
It  was  very  necessary  that  they  should  take  food 
to  be  ready  for  what  lay  before  them.  We  must 
always  care  for  our  bodily  health.  No  matter 
what  our  danger  may  be,  we  need  food.  When 
Elijah  was  fleeing  from  Jezebel's  threat,  despair- 
ing because  of  the  seeming  failure  of  his  work, 
an  angel  found  him  lying  under  a  juniper  tree 
wishing  he  were  dead.  Instead  of  giving  him 
good  advice,  or  even  reminding  him  of  the  divine 
promises,  the  angel  brought  him  something  to  eat. 
Then,  after  he  had  eaten,  he  slept.  Food  and 
sleep  were  what  Elijah  wanted.  There  are  times 
when  what  persons  need  is  not  a  tract,  nor  good 
advice,  nor  even  words  from  the  Bible,  or  a 
prayer,  but  comforts  for  their  bodies,  something 
to  eat,  clothes  to  keep  them  warm. 

There  are  beautiful  things  in  Paul's  bearing 
during  this  storm.  One  is  his  calmness  in  the 
hour  of  danger.  It  was  not  merely  his  physical 
courage  and  self-control  that  gave  him  this  serene 
composure;  it  was  his  confidence  in  God.  He 
knew  that  the  Lord  ruled  on  the  sea  and  in  the 
storm,  and  that  he  was  safe  in  God's  strong  hands. 
Like  Moses,  he  endured  as  seeing  Him  who  is 


ACTS  XXVn  127 

invisible.  Every  Christian  may  have  this  same 
peace  in  time  of  danger  or  trial.  Another  fine 
thing  in  Paul  here  is  his  thoughtf ulness  for  others. 
He  forgets  himself  and  tries  to  cheer  his  fellows 
in  their  fear.  There  is  no  truer  test  of  the  spirit 
of  Christ  than  interest  in  others.  Another  thing 
in  Paul's  conduct  is  his  noble  confession  of  Christ. 
He  was  not  ashamed  of  his  religion. 

Paul  set  the  example  of  eating.  Then  the  rest 
followed.  By  being  brave,  cheerful  and  composed 
in  time  of  danger,  Paul  lifted  up  the  whole  ship's 
company  into  the  same  confident  mood.  By  his 
cheerful  manner  and  loving  interest  in  the  others 
he  inspired  them  all  with  confidence.  There  are 
few  things  the  world  needs  more  than  just  such 
influence. 

The  next  step  was  to  lighten  the  ship;  the 
wheat  was  thrown  out  into  the  sea.  There  come 
experiences  in  life  when  material  things  must  be 
sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  higher  interest.  In 
this  case  the  cargo  was  thrown  overboard  in  order 
that  the  ship  might  be  beached  and  the  men's  lives 
saved.  We  cannot  reach  the  haven  of  eternal  rest 
laden  down  with  the  things  of  this  world.  When 
a  vessel  was  burning  near  the  shore,  and  all  were 
leaping  into  the  water  to  swim  to  safety,  there 
was  one  who  tied  his  gold  about  his  body,  think- 
ing to  carry  it  to  shore ;  but  the  moment  he  leaped 
into  the  water,  he  sank  to  the  bottom  like  a  stone. 
If  he  had  been  willing  to  give  up  his  gold  his 
life  might  have  been  saved. 


128    PAUL'S  VOYAGE  AND  SHIPWEECK 

We  liave  an  illustration  of  this  trutli  in  the 
history  of  the  flight  of  Cortez,  on  that  fearful 
night  when  the  Aztecs  compelled  the  invaders  to 
escape  for  their  lives.  The  vast  masses  of  gold 
that  had  been  accumulated  were  more  than  could 
be  carried  off,  as  each  soldier  would  have  to  fight 
his  way  through  the  host  of  the  enemy.  Each  man 
was  allowed  to  take  what  he  would,  but  their  com- 
mander warned  them  of  overloading.  Said  he, 
*'He  travels  safest  in  the  dark  night  who  travels 
lightest."  The  more  cautious  men  heeded  the  ad- 
vice, but  others  were  less  self -restrained.  Some 
bound  heavy  chains  of  gold  about  their  necks  and 
shoulders,  and  some  filled  their  wallets  with  the 
bulky  ingots  until  they  literally  staggered  under 
their  burdens.  All  who  tried  to  carry  off  the 
I  gold  became  an  easy  prey  to  the  lances  of  the 
enemy.  On  that  fearful  night,  poverty  itself  was 
the  greatest  wealth. 

Even  the  anchor  chains  were  cut,  and  the 
anchors  were  left  in  the  sea.  Anchors  are  very 
important,  but  there  is  a  time  when  even  they 
must  be  cast  off.  There  are  other  anchors  which 
hold  many  people  from  salvation  or  a  full  con- 
secration to  Christ.  Sometimes  a  secret  sin  is 
the  chain,  sometimes  a  human  companionship  or 
friendship,  som'etimes  love  for  the  world's  riches 
or  pleasures.  Whatever  it  is  that  keeps  a  sinner 
from  salvation,  or  a  Christian  from  greater  near- 
mess  to  Christ,  should  be  cut  off.  Christ  made 
this  very  strong  when  He  said  that  if  our  hand  or 


ACTS  XXVn  129 

our  foot  cause  us  to  sin,  we  should  cut  it  off ;  that 
we  would  better  escape  into  life,  halt  or  maimed, 
than  keep  both  hands  and  feet  and  perish.  We 
should  be  very  honest  with  ourselves  in  this  mat- 
ter. We  should  see  whether  there  is  anything 
holding  us  back  from  the  shore  of  safety,  keeping 
us  out  of  the  Church,  or  hindering  us  from  getting 
near  to  Christ.  If  we  find  that  there  is  any  such 
thing,  no  matter  how  dear  it  is  to  us,  we  should 
resolutely  cut  it  off  and  cast  it  away.  Paul's 
common-sense  action  had  commended  him  to  the 
centurion  in  charge  of  the  prisoners,  for  when 
the  soldiers  proposed  to  kill  the  prisoners,  ''the 
centurion,  desiring  to  save  Paul,,  stayed  them 
from  their  purpose. ' '  The  soldiers  forgot  all  that 
Paul  had  done  for  them  during  the  storm  and, 
to  avoid  further  responsibility  for  themselves, 
proposed  killing  all  the  prisoners.  After  a  battle, 
a  wounded  enemy  within  the  lines  piteously  cried 
for  water.  An  officer  ran  to  him  and  gave  him 
drink.  Refreshed  and  revived  by  the  water,  the 
wounded  man,  seeing  that  his  benefactor  was  of 
the  opposite  army,  drew  his  pistol  and  shot  him. 
Something  like  this  was  the  spirit  of  these  sol- 
diers. The  centurion,  however,  shows  us  the  re- 
verse spirit^ — gratitude.  He  remembered  how 
much  they  all  owed  to  one  particular  prisoner, 
and  checked  the  evil  purpose  of  his  men,  not  only 
saving  Paul  himself,  but  for  his  sake  all  the  pris- 
oners. 

The  first  chapter  in  the  dramatic  story  is 
9 


130    PAUL'S  VOYAGE  AND  SHIPWRECK 

simply  told.  The  advice  was  given  by  the  cen- 
turion that ''they  who  could  swim  should  .  .  . 
get  first  to  the  land;  and  the  rest,  some  on  planks, 
and  some  on  other  things  from  the  ship.  And 
so  .  .  .  they  all  escaped  safe  to  the  land." 
We  have  here  a  beautiful  parable.  The  voyage 
itself  is  a  parable  of  the  Christian's  life-voyage. 
The  island  represents  heaven.  Everything  has 
to  be  given  up  to  reach  it.  But  it  will  be  noticed 
that  not  one  person  was  lost — all  reached  the  land. 
However,  all  did  not  get  to  the  shore  in  the  same 
way.  Some  swam  out,  gaining  the  land  easily, 
while  others  had  to  cling  to  pieces  of  board,  or  of 
furniture,  thus  barely  escaping.  So  not  all  Chris- 
tians reach  heaven  in  the  same  way.  Some  enter 
triumphantly,  victoriously,  with  song  and  shout; 
some  are  barely  saved,  gaining  the  shores  of 
glory  only  on  the  shattered  fragments  of  their 
earthly  hopes.  Happy  will  we  be  if  we  get  into 
heaven  at  last  in  any  way,  through  any  difficulty 
or  earthly  loss.  But  it  is  possible  for  all  to  have 
the  ''abundant  entrance,'*  and  we  should  strive 
so  to  live  that  we  may  secure  it. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

JUSTIFICATION   BY   FAITH 

Read  Rom.  V :  1-11 

Justification-  by  faith  is  the  starting  point  in 
the  Christian  life.  There  can  be  no  tree  without 
a  root,  no  stream  without  a  fountain.  The  care- 
less, unsaved  ones  may  read  about  the  blessings 
of  redemption,  as  we  have  them  here  in  our  lesson, 
and  may  say,  *'Yes,  they  are  very  beautiful  and 
good."  But  they  never  can  possess  these  gifts 
and  blessings  until  they  have  been  "justified." 
And  they  never  can  be  justified  until  they  receive 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  by  faith.  Nothing  but  His 
blood  can  put  away  sin.  Nothing  but  His  Spirit 
can  change  and  renew  the  life.  When  we  have 
been  "justified"  our  sins  are  put  forever  away. 
There  is,  therefore,  now  no  condemnation.  We 
stand  before  God  as  if  we  had  never  sinned.  We 
must  stop  at  these  first  words  and  study  them 
carefully.  They  are  the  gate  at  which  we  must 
enter  the  Father's  house,  whose  blessedness  is 
described  in  the  verses  following. 

After  justification  comes  peace.  Peace  is  a 
favourite  word  with  St.  Paul.  He  does  not  mean 
peace  in  an  earthly  sense,  for  he  did  not  have 

181 


132  JUSTIFICATION  BY  FAITH 

such  peace.  His  life  was  full  of  suffering,  care, 
toil,  persecution  and  trial.  Yet  Ms  epistles  are 
starred  all  over  with  the  bright  word  peace. 
There  are  several  different  kinds  of  peace  men- 
tioned by  St.  Paul.  Here  he  speaks  of  "peace 
with  God."  This  means  the  consciousness  of 
reconciliation  with  God.  We  have  an  illustration 
of  it  in  the  prodigal  son  after  his  return  to  his 
father,  when  he  had  been  forgiven  and  restored  to 
his  place.  Sin  separates  us  from  God.  While  the 
feeling  of  guilt  is  in  the  heart  there  is  no  peace. 
We  cannot  look  into  God's  face.  But  when  we 
have  repented  of  our  sins  and  have  confessed 
them  and  received  God's  forgiveness  there  is 
peace  with  God.  Saint  Paul  speaks  also  elsewhere 
of  the  "peace  of  God."  Writing  from  a  prison, 
he  exhorted  his  friends  to  be  anxious  for  nothing, 
but  to  make  all  their  cares  known  to  God;  and 
then  he  said  the  peace  of  God  would  keep  their 
hearts  and  minds  in  Jesus  Christ.  This  is  a  step 
further  than  peace  with  God.  It  is  a  peace  which 
holds  the  heart  quiet  and  still  in  the  midst  of 
whatsoever  things  are  hard  and  trying  in  this 
world.  It  comes  from  nestling  in  God's  love,  and 
leaving  all  tangled  things  in  His  hands.  Christ 
promised  the  same  peace  when  He  said,  "Peace 
I  leave  with  you;  my  peace  I  give  unto  you." 
Evidently  peace  is  a  Christian  duty  as  well  as  a 
privilege.  It  is  named  as  one  of  the  fruits  of 
the  Spirit,  in  the  same  cluster  with  love,  joy, 
gentleness,  goodness  and  meekness.     The  peace 


ROMANS  V:  1-11  133 

mentioned  here  in  our  lesson  is  the  beginning 
of  all  true  peace.  The  peace  of  God  cannot  be 
ours  until  we  have  peace  with  God. 

The  peace  of  God  comes  through  Jesus  Christ, 
"through  whom  also  we  have  had  our  access  by 
faith  into  this  grace/*  Always  and  everywhere 
Christ  is  the  door.  We  enter  every  place  of  bless- 
ing through  Him.  The  way  to  peace  with  God 
is  through  our  Lord  Jesus;  and  here  *' access" 
into  the  grace  of  salvation  is  also  'through"  Him. 
To  reject  Christ  is  to  reject  everything  of  bless- 
ing and  good.  To  receive  Christ  is  to  be  admitted 
to  all  the  privileges  and  benefits  of  redemption. 
This  ''access"  is  into  all  ''grace."  Grace  is 
favour  undeserved.  What  we  earn  by  our  own 
deeds  is  not  grace;  it  is  wages.  What  comes  to 
us  as  mercy,  through  the  love  of  God,  is  grace. 
"Access" — to  what?  To  all  the  blessings  that 
belong  to  God 's  children.  ' '  All  things  are  yours, ' ' 
says  St.  Paul,  in  another  letter.  "All  things  are 
yours;  .  .  .  and  ye  are  Christ's;  and  Christ 
is  God's."  There  is  the  privilege  of  prayer — ^we 
have  access  to  that.  There  is  the  Bible — that  is 
ours.  There  is  the  Church — that  is  for  us.  There 
is  the  storehouse  of  grace — grace  for  life,  com- 
fort for  sorrow,  all  divine  fullness — we  have  ac- 
cess into  that.  There  is  heaven  at  the  last — the 
door  is  open  for  us  to  enter  in  and  go  no  more  out 
forever. 

Because  the  door  is  open  to  us,  "we  rejoice  in 
hope  of  the  glory  of  God. ' '    It  may  seem  of  ttimes 


134  JUSTIFICATION  BY  FAITH 

that  the  present  gains  of  faith  in  Christ  are  not 
very  great.  It  may  even  appear  as  if  the  worldly 
man  had  the  better  of  it  here.  But  this  is  not 
the  end.  There  is  a  future  in  which  there  shall 
be  compensation  for  earth's  ills  and  losses  to  all 
who  are  in  Christ.  We  are  some  day  to  be  like 
Christ  and  to  be  with  Him  in  glory.  This  ought 
to  cheer  us  in  our  earthly  life.  Those  who  have 
this  blessed  hope  ought  not  to  be  affected  by  the 
hardness  and  trial  of  the  way.  There  is  a  man 
journeying  along  a  lonely  road  at  night.  It  is 
dark.  The  storm  beats  about  him.  He  is  weary 
and  faint,  but  in  his  heart  there  is  a  vision  of  a 
beautiful  and  happy  home,  not  many  miles  away, 
to  which  he  is  going.  Loved  ones  are  there,  wait- 
ing for  him.  There  he  will  find  shelter  from  the 
storm,  food  for  his  hunger,  rest  to  relieve  his 
faintness  and  weariness.  This  vision  of  happi- 
ness, comfort,  joy  and  safety,  a  little  way  before 
him,  makes  him  forget  the  hardness  and  discom- 
fort of  the  journey.  So  it  is  that  the  ''hope  of 
the  glory  of  God"  should  cheer  us  as  we  move 
through  the  world's  darkness  and  sorrow  and 
trial. 

Paul  reminds  us  that  we  are  to  rejoice  also  in 
our  tribulations.  This  seems  a  hard  lesson.  We 
may  learn  to  bear  troubles  submissively,  without 
complaining;  but  to  rejoice  in  them,  that  is  some- 
thing which  to  many  seems  impossible.  The  tree 
is  too  bitter  to  have  such  sweet  fruit  growing  on  it. 
But  the  grace  of  Christ  is  equal  to  this  strange 


E0MANSV:1-11  135 

task — ^enabling  us  to  rejoice  in  our  tribulations. 
Thousands  of  Christians  have  done  it.  Saint 
Paul  himself  did  it.  "We  remember  his  songs 
in  the  night  at  Philippi.  This  is  what  Christian 
faith  may  always  do.  The  secret  of  it  is,  perfect 
trust  in  the  will  and  love  of  God.  No  one  can 
rejoice  in  pain  or  loss  who  has  not  a  settled 
confidence  in  the  righteousness  of  God's  ways. 
Then  he  knows  that  the  thing  God  sends  or  per- 
mits is  the  best  thing,  though  it  almost  crush 
him.  Some  one  tells  how  a  flute  is  made.  Here 
is  a  piece  of  wood.  It  is  solid  and  hard  and  it 
makes  no  music.  Then  a  workman  takes  it  and 
cuts  holes  in  it,  and  makes  a  hollow  through  it. 
It  is  by  thus  cutting  as  if  destroying  it  that  it 
is  made  into  a  flute  which  gives  forth  sweet  music. 
God  seems  ofttimes  to  be  destroying  His  children 
by  tribulations,  but  He  is  really  preparing  them 
to  give  forth  sweet  music. 

Tribulation  is  good,  for  it  ''worketh  patience." 
Patience  is  a  blessed  lesson  to  learn.  Any  school 
in  which  we  can  learn  it  is  a  good  school,  and 
the  lesson  can  scarcely  be  too  costly.  Patience 
is  ofttimes  learned  in  the  school  of  suffering. 
We  are  there  trained  to  endure,  not  to  cry  out 
in  the  hour  of  anguish,  but  to  sing  instead. 
Eichter  tells  of  the  little  bird  that  is  shut  away 
in  the  darkness  to  learn  new  strains,  which  after- 
wards it  sings  in  the  light.  Many  Christians  are 
taken  into  the  darkness  and  kept  there  for  a 
time,  while  they  are  taught  the  songs  of  patience. 


136  JUSTIFICATION  BY  FAITH 

We  look  at  patient  people  with  admiration,  not 
knowing  wliat  it  has  cost  them  to  get  this  pearl 
of  the  Christian  graces. 

"Angel  of  patience,  sent  to  calm 
Our  feverish  brows  with  cooling  balm. 
To  lay  the  storms  of  hope  and  fear 
And  reconcile  life's  smile  and  tear. 
The  throbs  of  wounded  pride  to  still. 
And  make  our  own  our  Father's  will." 

Patience  is  only  the  first  link  in  a  golden 
chain.  It  begins  in  tribulation — ^in  the  fire.  That 
is  where  the  gold  is  refined.  I  saw  the  men  in 
the  great  smelter  at  Denver,  bringing  in  the  ore — 
rough,  unsightly,  without  any  appearance  of  value, 
and  I  followed  the  processes  until  they  showed 
us  the  pure  metals  ready  for  use.  That  is  the 
way  this  chain  of  gold  begins.  The  rough  ore 
of  common  life  is  taken  and  put  into  the  hot 
furnace,  where  it  is  purified  until  it  shines  in 
lustrous  beauty.  "Patience,  experience.'*  ^  Ex- 
perience is  what  we  have  learned  for  ourselves 
by  living.  Most  of  us  do  not  learn  much  any 
other  way.  Every  day's  life  leaves  its  new  lines 
written  upon  our  character. 

"'Our  deeds  still  travel  with  us  from  afar. 
And  what  we  have  been  makes  us  what 


we  are." 


After  experience  comes  hope.  The  more  we 
know  of  the  truth  and  the  beauty  of  the  blessed- 
ness of  hope,  the  more  does  the  future  mean 


ROMANS  V :  1-11  137 

to  us.  Trying  Christ  makes  us  even  the  more 
sure  of  Him.  Testing  the  promises  makes  us 
feel  more  secure  in  resting  upon  them.  This 
"hope,"  too,  is  one  that  never  shall  disappoint 
us.  One  of  the  most  pathetic  things  I  saw  in  all 
the  great  West  was  a  little  graveyard  near  the 
foot  of  Pike's  Peak,  in  which  sleep  many  of  the 
men  who  journeyed  there  with  the  wild  expecta- 
tion of  finding  gold.  Their  hope  put  them  to 
shame  and  they  died  broken-hearted.  Not  so  does 
ever  the  Christian's  hope. 

The  ground  of  all  our  hope  is  in  Christ,  who 
died  for  us  while  we  were  yet  sinners.  God 
does  not  begin  to  love  us  when  we  begin  to  get 
good  and  to  love  Him.  He  loves  us  first  in  our 
sins,  and  it  is  His  love  that  starts  in  our  hearts 
the  first  glimmering  of  love  for  Him.  The  argu- 
ment here  is  very  strong.  If  He  loved  us  in  our 
sins  so  much  that  He  died  for  us,  surely  now, 
when  we  have  been  justified  and  saved.  He  will  be 
faithful  to  us  and  will  keep  us  from  falling  away. 
Thus  the  cross  is  the  abiding  proof  of  the  un- 
changing love  of  God.  '*If,  while  we  were  ene- 
mies, we  were  reconciled  to  God  through  the 
death  of  his  Son,  much  more,  being  reconciled, 
shall  we  be  saved  by  his  life. ' ' 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  LIFE-GIVING  SPIRIT 

Read  Rom,  ¥111:1-14 

Some  one  says  that  if  the  Bible  be  compared 
to  a  ring  and  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  be  its 
precious  stone,  the  eighth  chapter  would  be  the 
sparkling  point  of  the  jewel.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  precious  chapters  in  all  the  Scriptures.  It 
begins  with  no  condemnation,  and  ends  with  no 
separation. 

The  very  first  verse  tells  us  ''There  is  there- 
fore now  no  condemnation.'*  This  is  a  great 
word.  They  are  not  condemned,  are  not  guilty, 
have  nothing  charged  against  them.  How  does 
this  come?  Are  these  people  holy  ones  who  never 
have  sinned?  If  so,  it  can  be  no  comfort  to  us, 
for  we  all  have  sinned.  It  is  a  word  only  for 
angels.  But  this  is  not  what  it  means.  It  is  not 
the  sinless  ones  who  are  thus  free  from  con- 
demnation. The  reference  is  to  those  who  have 
sinned,  but  have  been  forgiven. 

Those  ''that  are  in  Christ  Jesus"  are  the  per- 
sons who  are  free  from  condemnation.  They  have 
sinned,  many  of  them  very  grievously.  But  when 
they  accepted  (Jhrist  as  their  Saviour  all  their  sins 

188 


ROMANS  VIII :  1-14  139 

were  put  away,  blotted  out.  To  be  in  Christ 
Jesus  means  to  be  in  Him  by  faith  and  love.  Then 
He  takes  away  all  our  guilt,  and  when  He  does 
this  it  is  as  if  we  never  had  sinned.  Our  sins 
are  remembered  no  more  forever.  Their  crim- 
son red  becomes  whiter  than  snow.  The  divine 
forgiveness  is  so  full,  so  complete,  so  thorough, 
that  we  are  restored  to  our  place  in  fellowship 
with  God  as  if  we  never  had  gone  astray. 

Those  who  are  in  Christ  have  a  new  life  in 
them.  Christ  Himself  lives  in  them  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.  They  are  filled  with  the  Spirit  and  are 
lifted  out  of  the  old  life  and  thus  are  made  free 
from  its  power.  Elsewhere  St.  Paul  said,  "Walk 
by  the  Spirit,  and  ye  shall  not  fulfil  the  lust  of 
the  flesh."  If  we  let  the  Spirit  live  in  us  and 
rule  us  we  shall  no  longer  be  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  old  nature,  but  will  rise  into  a  new 
life,  as  when  one  carries  a  plant  from  a  cold  arctic 
winter  into  a  tropical  summer.  One  writer  com- 
pares this  "law  of  life"  to  the  antidote  which 
counteracts  a  deadly  poison  and  frees  one  from 
its  "law  of  death."  Another  illustrates  it  by 
the  coming  of  relief  to  a  beleaguered  city.  The 
deliverer  frees  the  people  from  prison  and  gives 
them  a  friendly  government.  Another  uses  the 
illustration  of  a  balloon,  which  overcomes  the  at- 
traction of  gravitation  and  lifts  its  passengers 
upward.  To  be  living  under  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  to  be  free  from  sin's  terrible 
bondage. 


140  THE  LIFE-GIVING  SPIRIT 

Those  wlio  are  still  living  the  old  life,  ruled 
by  natural  desires,  have  no  care  for  spiritual 
things.  Men  who  live  only  a  worldly  life,  a  life 
of  self-indulgence  and  of  sin,  would  find  no  com- 
fort in  a  prayer  meeting  or  at  a  church  service, 
while  you,  if  you  are  a  true  Christian,  sitting  in 
the  same  pew,  would  find  great  pleasure  in  the 
worship.  I  knew  a  godly  man  to  whom  music 
was  torture,  and  the  finer  the  music  the  greater 
the  torture.  His  friends  in  the  same  room,  listen- 
ing to  the  same  music,  were  thrilled  by  it  while 
he  was  made  to  suffer.  Those  who  have  the  Spirit 
love  spiritual  things,  while  those  who  have  not 
the  Spirit  are  made  unhappy  in  the  presence  of 
these  heavenly  enjoyments. 

Only  those  who  have  received  the  Holy  Spirit 
are  really  alive.  There  are  men  who  are  dead  to 
the  things  of  God  and  heaven  as  is  the  man  in 
his  coffin  to  the  things  about  him.  Friends  sob 
out  their  sorrow  beside  Mm,  but  he  is  not  dis- 
turbed by  it.  There  are  persons  who  never  think 
of  God  or  of  heaven.  Alive  to  this  world,  they 
are  dead  to  all  the  things  of  the  heavenly  world 
and  to  the  spiritual  life — the  love  of  God,  the 
divine  grace,  the  beauty  of  holiness,  the  promise 
of  God — as  dead  as  if  their  bodies  were  stone. 
One  tells  of  seeing  an  idiotic  child  growing  up 
in  a  home.  All  the  wealth  of  holy  affection  was 
poured  out  on  it.  Loving  parents  watched  with 
intense  eagerness  for  some  response  to  their  great 


ROMANS  Vin :  1-14  141 

love.  But  no  response  came.  The  child  never 
became  conscious  of  the  tender  love  about  it.  So 
those  who  are  devoted  only  to  this  world  live 
amid  the  manifestations  of  the  love  of  God,  under 
the  very  shadow  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  yet 
are  dead  to  all  this  wonderful  affection,  utterly 
unmoved  by  it. 

Those  who  are  ruled  by  the  Spirit  have  the 
mind  of  the  Spirit.  That  is,  the  Spirit  dwells  in 
their  hearts  and  they  are  alive.  They  love  God 
and  love  their  fellow  men.  They  commune  with 
God  in  this  world.  They  and  Christ  are  close 
personal  friends.  They  are  alive  to  all  the  things 
of  divine  grace.  In  their  hearts  they  have  the 
divine  peace  which  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  the 
Spirit. 

It  does  not  make  one  a  Christian  to  have  a 
correct  creed,  or  to  be  a  member  of  a  church. 
We  are  Christians  only  when  we  have  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  our  hearts.  If  the  Spirit  is  in  us,  we 
shall  have  the  marks  of  His  indwelling  in  our 
life  and  character.  One  of  these  marks  is  love, 
another  is  joy,  another  patience,  another  meek- 
ness, another  gentleness,  another  self-control.  No 
one  can  see  the  Spirit  in  us — no  one  can  see  God — 
but  people  soon  know  if  the  Spirit  is  in  us  by 
the  way  we  live,  by  our  disposition  and  conduct. 
Jesus  once  said  to  one  of  His  disciples,  "If  I 
wash  thee  not,  thou  hast  no  part  with  me."  Not 
unless  we  are  cleansed  by  Christ  can  we  really 


142  THE  LIFE-GR^NG  SPIRIT 

claim  to  be  His.  The  words  hetr©  are  quite  as 
strong — ^if  we  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  we 
are  none  of  His. 

If  we  would  have  the  Spirit  of  God,  we  must 
**put  to  death  the  deeds  of  the  body."  Our 
hearts  are  great  battle  fields  where  destinies  are 
decided.  Two  forces  are  ever  contending  for  the 
mastery — ^the  flesh,  the  old  nature,  and  the  Spirit 
— ^the  new  life  of  God  in  our  souls.  If  the  old 
nature  conquers,  we  have  lost  all  and  must  per- 
ish. But  if  the  new  nature,  the  Spirit,  conquers, 
then  we  enter  life.  Without  Christ  we  can  only 
be  defeated;  through  Christ's  help  we  can  be 
victorious.  We  must  be  careful  not  to  make  this 
simply  a  human  struggle,  for  alone  w©  never  can 
contend  with  the  power  of  evil.  But  there  is  a 
beautiful  promise  in  this  same  chapter  which 
says  that  we  can  be  more  than  conquerors  through 
Him  that  loved  us.  We  must  make  sure  to  have 
Christ  with  us  in  the  battle. 

Those  who  are  led  by  the  Spirit  are  the  sons 
of  God.  It  is  a  wonderful  thought  that  we  can 
be  led  by  the  divine  Spirit  Himself.  The  Spirit 
leads  us  not  from  without,  as  in  old  times  the 
pillar  of  cloud  led  the  people,  but  by  living  in  us 
and  filling  our  hearts  with  right  miotives,  feelings, 
desires,  affections.  We  must  open  our  hearts  to 
the  Spirit,  for  He  never  will  force  His  way  in. 
He  stands  at  the  door  and  knocks,  and  if  we  open 
to  Him,  He  enters  and  becomes  our  guide.  It 
is  a  glorious  privilege  to  be  a  child  of  God.    Here 


EOMANS  Vin :  1-14  143 

we  are  told  how  we  can  enter  tMs  relation.  In 
one  of  the  Gospels  it  is  said  that  as  many  as 
receive  Christ,  to  them  He  gives  the  right  to  be- 
come God's  children.  Accepting  Christ  as  our 
Redeemer  and  Master  brings  us  into  the  family 
of  God.  Then,  here  we  are  told  that  if  we  yield 
to  the  leading  of  the  Holy  Spirit  we  become  God's 
children.  It  is  very  plain,  therefore, — the  door 
stands  wide  open  into  the  household  of  the 
heavenly  Father.  All  who  submit  themselves  to 
the  divine  life  and  love  and  rule,  become  children 
of  God. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

CHEISTIAN  LIVING 

Read  Bom.  XII:  9-21 

Our  love  should  be  sincere,  '* without  hypocrisy,*' 
as  Paul  says.  A  hypocrite  is  an  actor.  He  pre- 
tends to  be  what  he  is  not.  We  are  not  to  live 
in  this  way — merely  pretending  to  love  people, 
speaking  to  them  kindly  words  while  bitterness 
is  in  our  heart.  Our  life  must  be  as  good  as  our 
speech,  our  heart  as  good  as  our  profession. 

If  our  love  is  to  be  without  hypocrisy,  we 
must  ''abhor  that  which  is  evil;  cleave  to  that 
which  is  good."  God  hates  wickedness,  hates 
'everything  that  is  sinful;  if  we  would  be  like 
God  we  must  hate  sin.  It  is  not  enough  to  love 
what  is  right  and  to  cleave  to  it.  This  is  very 
important,  but  we  must  also  abhor  that  which  is 
evil.  This  does  not  mean  that  we  are  to  hate 
wicked  people,  for  we  are  taught  to  love  all  men 
— we  are  not  to  hate  the  people,  but  the  wicked- 
ness, being  ready  meanwhile  to  show  our  love 
in  kindness  and  helpfulness  even  to  the  worst. 
God  hates  sin,  but  loves  the  sinner  and  yearns 
for  his  salvation,  doing  everything  to  bring  him 
back  to  right  ways.    In  these  days  of  tolerance 

144 


ROMANS  XII :  9-21  145 

we  need  to  watch  lest  sometimes  we  be  tolerant 
of  things  we  ought  to  hate. 

But  we  must  not  let  our  hatred  of  evil  inter- 
fere with  our  love  for  others.  Paul  urges  that 
we,  **in  love  of  the  brethren  be  tenderly  affec- 
tioned  one  to  another."  Perhaps  ofttimes  we 
are  too  cold  in  our  affection,  at  least  in  our  show- 
ing of  affection.  There  is  something  wonder- 
fully beautiful  in  the  way  Jesus  loved  His  dis- 
ciples and  friends.  He  loved  them  and  He  let 
them  know  that  He  loved  them.  He  spoke  to  them 
of  His  tender  interest  in  their  life,  and  showed 
His  interest,  too,  in  many  sweet  and  gentle  ways. 
He  commanded  His  friends  to  love  one  another  as 
He  had  loved  them.  Not  only  should  we  love,  but 
we  should  be  tenderly  affectioned.  Especially  in 
homes  is  there  ofttimes  a  lack  in  the  showing 
of  affection.  The  family  love  each  other,  but 
their  words  and  acts  do  not  show  it.  We  are 
too  chary  of  our  loving  words. 

We  are  to  do  more.  We  are  to  show  our  love 
by  preferring  one  another.  This  is  not  easy. 
We  like  to  claim  the  first  places  for  ourselves. 
We  do  not  like  to  sink  ourselves  out  of  sight 
when  we  have  been  doing  something  good  and 
beautiful,  quietly  allowing  some  other  one  to  get 
the  credit  and  carry  off  the  honour.  It  is  in  asso- 
ciated Christian  work  that  this  lesson  has  its  spe- 
cial application.  As  long  as  we  are  clamouring 
for  honour  and  recognition  we  have  not  learned 
this  part  of  Christian  duty.  If  we  only  knew  it, 
10 


146  CHRISTIAN  LIVING 

there  is  a  wonderful  comfort  in  caring  only  for 
the  work,  and  not  caring  to  have  the  praise  of 
men  for  it. 

Another  thing  not  easy  we  are  asked  to  do: 
we  are  to  ''bless  them  that  persecute  you;  bletss, 
and  curse  not."  Indeed,  none  of  these  life  les- 
sons are  easy.  We  like  to  pay  debts  of  this  kind 
with  the  same  sort  of  coin  we  have  received.  Pos- 
sibly we  may  learn  part  of  the  lesson — not  to  be 
resentful,  not  to  try  to  punish  others  for  the 
hurt  they  do  us.  We  say  we  will  drop  the  matter 
and  not  think  of  it  any  more.  But  this  is  not 
all  of  the  lesson.  Not  only  are  we  not  to  curse, 
but  we  are  to  bless  them  that  persecute  us.  We 
are  not  to  return  injury  for  injury,  nor  are  we 
to  return  nothing;  we  are  to  pay  the  debt  in  full, 
but  we  .must  pay  it  with  love  instead  of  hate; 
instead  of  persecuting  those  who  persecute  us, 
we  are  to  bless  them. 

Then,  we  are  to  ''rejoice  with  them  that 
rejoice;  weep  with  them  that  weep."  The 
latter  part  of  this  counsel  we  hear  about  very 
often.  It  is  quite  natural  and  not  very  hard  to 
weep  with  those  who  weep.  We  go  to  the  house 
of  mourning,  and  we  feel  very  sorry  for  our 
friends  in  their  trouble.  But  this  is  not  all  the 
lesson.  We  are  also  to  rejoice  with  them  that  re- 
joice. This  is  not  so  easy  as  the  other  part  of 
the  lesson.  Sometimes  we  are  disposed  to  envy 
those  who  are  prosperous  or  who  have  great 
blessings  or  joys;  the  teaching  he^e  is  that  we 


EOMANS  XII :  9-21  147 

are  to  rejoice  witli  these;  we  are  to  be  glad  be^ 
cause  they  are  glad  and  happy. 

Those  who  have  the  Spirit  of  Christ  must  ''be 
of  the  same  mind  one  toward  another."  If  two 
persons  are  to  live  together  happily  they  must 
make  up  their  minds  that  they  both  cannot  have 
their  own  way  all  the  time.  One  way  to  get  along 
is  for  one  to  do  always  just  what  he  wants,  while 
the  other  yields  in  everything,  having  no  mind 
of  his  own,  claiming  no  rights.  This  can  scarcely 
be  called  the  Christian  way.  It  makes  one  a  tyrant 
and  the  other  a  slave.  The  way  for  people  to 
live  together  is  for  both  to  have  the  same  mind, 
each  to  think  of  the  other's  comfort  and  happi- 
ness and  be  glad  to  yield.  Then  the  lives  blend 
together;  neither  has  his  own  way,  but  both  con- 
sult each  other's  interest  and  comfort.  Being  of 
the  same  mind  implies  that  there  is  no  quarrel- 
ing, no  dissension.  Both  move  together  in  un- 
selfish love,  seeking  lowly  things. 

Paul  goes  still  deeper  into  the,  life  when  he 
says  that  we  are  to  be  not  wise  in  our  own  con- 
ceits. Self-conceit  is  a  miserable  thing.  Ruskin 
says,  ''Conceit  may  puff  a  man  up,  but  never 
prop  him  up."  Some  other  one  says,  "Buy  the 
conceited  man  at  his  real  worth  and  sell  him  for 
what  he  thinks  he  is  worth  and  your  fortune  is 
made."  Nobody  admires  self-conceit  in  another. 
Everyone  thinks  it  a  most  detestable  disposition. 
We  must  think  of  ourselves  as  we  appear  to 
others.    We  ought  to  know  very  well  that  self- 


148  CHRISTIAN  LIVING 

conceit  makes  us  very  unlovely  in  the  eyes  of 
others.  Humility  is  the  grace  which  adorns.  God 
loves  it  and  men  love  it. 

The  truly  humble  Christian  will ' '  take  thought 
for  things  honourable  in  the  sight  of  all  men." 
We  represent  God  in  this  world.  We  have  the 
interests  of  God's  cause  in  our  keeping.  This 
makes  it  a  very  serious  thing  to  profess  to  be 
a  Christian,  for  people  have  a  right  to  look  to 
us  to  see  what  God  is  like.  Besides,  God  has  a 
right  then  to  look  to  us  for  the  true  manifesting 
of  His  own  character  and  will.  It  is  very  im- 
portant, therefore,  that  in  every  disposition  we 
show,  in  all  our  conduct,  in  all  our  business 
transactions,  in  all  our  social  relations,  in  all  our 
acts  and  words  of  influence,  we  shall  show  the 
things  that  are  godlike  and  beautiful.  We  must 
be  honourable  as  well  as  honest. 

In  God's  mind,  peace  is  a  part  of  beautiful 
living.  It  is  not  always  possible  to  live  in  love 
with  people.  There  are  some  people  who  would 
quarrel  with  an  angel.  They  are  so  selfish,  so 
ill-tempered,  so  domineering,  so  unreasonable, 
that  they  can  be  at  peace  with  none.  It  may  not 
be  possible,  therefore,  even  for  the  best  Chris- 
tian to  move  through  the  world  without  having 
•somebody  hate  him  or  strive  with  him.  But  the 
lesson  is  that  it  must  never  be  our  fault  if  there 
is  quarreling.  So  far  as  we  are  concerned,  we 
must  be  at  peace  with  all  men.     Abraham. pre- 


ROMANS  XII :  9-21  149 

served  peace  with  Lot  by  letting  Lot  have  his 
own  way.     This  is  a  good  rule. 

Those  who  would  live  peaceably  must  not 
avenge  themselves,  but  must  ''give  place  unto  the 
wrath  of  God. ' '  When  some  one  has  wronged  us 
grievously  we  are  apt  to  think  that  we  ought  to 
punish  him.  He  may  deserve  to  be  punished, 
but  punishment  is  not  our  business.  We  are  not 
the  man's  judge,  nor  are  we  the  executor  of  God's 
laws  against  him.  ''Vengeance  belongeth  unto  me 
.  .  .  saith  the  Lord. ' '  We  are  to  leave  all  our 
wrongs  in  God's  hands.  When  Joseph's  brothers 
implored  him  not  to  punish  them,  he  said  that 
he  was  not  in  the  place  of  God.  Peter  tells  us 
that  when  persons  wrong  us  we  are  to  be  like 
Christ,  who,  when  He  was  reviled,  reviled  not 
again,  but  committed  Himself  to  Him  that  judgeth 
righteously.  That  is.  He  left  all  His  wrongs  in 
the  hands  of  His  Father,  keeping  His  own  heart 
sweet  and  loving  meanwhile,  even  bearing  upon 
the  cross  the  sins  of  those  who  were  inflicting 
such  terrible  wrongs  upon  Him.  This  is  what 
we  are  to  do.  Leaving  in  God's  hands  the  right- 
ing of  our  wrongs,  we  are  to  do  good  and  not 
evil  to  those  who  may  injure  us.  We  are  never 
to  be  overcome  of  evil,  but  are  to  overcome  evil 
with  good — never  allowing  ourselves  to  be  driven 
into  sin  by  other  men's  injustice,  but  conquering 
men's  evil  with  our  own  kindness  and  grace.  This 
is  the  way  Christ  is  saving  the  world — overcoming 
the  World's  evil  by  His  infinite  love. 


CHAPTER  XXn 

THE  LAW  OF  LOVE 

Bead  Bom.  XIII:  8-14 

Chkistla-n-  teachings  deal  with  life.  To  begin  with, 
here  is  a  word  about  debt-paying.  ' '  Owe  no  man 
anything."  We  should  never  fail  to  pay  a  debt 
when  it  falls  due.  The  person  to  whom  we  owe 
it  expects  the  money  at  that  time,  and  bases  his 
own  engagements  upon  the  receiving  of  it.  If 
we  do  not  pay  him,  he  in  turn  is  left  unable  to 
pay  another  to  whom  he  is  indebted,  and  who  can 
tell  how  many  other  people,  in  turn,  will  be  dis- 
appointed, and  perhaps  left  in  embarrassment, 
because  of  our  failure  to  pay  our  debt?  Then, 
it  is  a  bad  habit  for  anyone  to  form — allowing 
debts  to  go  unpaid.  Like  other  habits,  too,  it 
grows  easily,  and  soon  becomes  so  fixed  that  a 
man  thinks  nothing  of  being  in  debt. 

There  is  one  kind  of  indebtedness,  however, 
which  none  of  us  can  help — the  debt  of  love.  We 
never  can  get  it  paid  off.  Of  course,  we  are  to 
pay  it  as  fast  as  it  falls  due.  But  even  when  we 
do  this  we  cannot  get  out  of  love's  debt.  At  the 
close  of  a  day  we  may  feel  that  we  have  met  all 
our  obligations  of  love  to  all  about  us — family, 

150 


EOMANS  Xin:8-14  151 

friends,  neighbours.  Yet,  when  we  rise  next  morn- 
ing we  find  all  the  debts  of  yesterday  facing  us 
again,  not  one  of  them  diminished.  "We  can  do 
nothing  but  begin  to  pay  them  off  again,  toiling 
the  whole  day  to  do  it. 

Love  includes  all  other  duties.  *'He  that 
loveth  his  neighbour  hath  fulfilled  the  law."  All 
the  other  commandments  are  mere  fragments  of 
the  law  of  love.  There  is  an  Eastern  story  of 
one  who  saw  a  cloud  hanging  in  the  sky,  and 
while  he  watched,  it  gathered  itself  close  down 
to  the  ground  and  then  into  a  little  golden  urn 
which  sat  there.  So  all  the  duties  we  owe  to 
others  really  gather  themselves  in  concentration 
into  the  one  golden  duty  of  love.  He  who  loves 
truly  obeys  all  the  commandments.  This  St.  Paul 
illustrates  in  the  following  verse.  ''Thou  shalt 
not  commit  adultery,  Thou  shalt  not  kill.  Thou 
shalt  not  steal,  Thou  shalt  not  covet,"  are  all 
phases  of  the  requirement. 

Love  never  does  another  any  harm.  **Love 
worketh  no  ill  to  his  neighbour."  Love  always 
thinks  of  people's  good.  Whatever,  therefore, 
injures  another  in  any  way  is  a  violation  of  love 's 
duty,  ^^at  about  the  man  who  tempts  a  boy 
to  drink  and  puts  the  first  glass  into  his  hand? 
Has  he  wrought  no  ill  to  his  neighbour?  Sup- 
pose that  a  few  years  hence  this  boy  has  become  a 
drunkard — whose  is  the  guilt  of  having  started 
him  in  his  course  of  ruin?  What  about  the  saloon- 
keepers, who,  to  make  money,  deal  out  intoxi- 


152  THE  LAW  OF  LOVE 

eating  drinks  to  the  men — young  and  old,  weak 
and  strong — who  come  to  their  bar?  What  is 
the  net  result  of  the  work  of  a  drinking-saloon 
at  the  close  of  any  year?  Think  of  the  ruin 
wrought  in  lives,  in  homes!  Is  there  any  good 
to  counterbalance  the  evil?  Arei  any  homes 
brightened,  sweetened,  made  happier,  better, 
holier,  truer,  by  the  saloon?  Are  any  lives  made 
purer,  cleaner,  more  earnest,  more  beautiful, 
nobler,  more  godlike,  by  the  saloon? 

There  is  a  call  here  to  awake.  ' '  It  is  time  for 
you  to  awake  out  of  sleep."  The  picture  sug- 
gested is  of  one  still  asleep  when  the  sun  is  high 
in  the  heavens.  There  is  a  great  pressure  of 
duty,  but  the  man  sleeps,  indifferent  to  all  calls. 
During  the  day  we  have  duties  which  would  crowd 
every  moment  if  we  were  doing  them  all.  But 
here'  are  men  sleeping  away  half  their  day,  leav- 
ing their  work  untouched.  The  man  who  never 
thinks  of  eternity  is  asleep;  yet  he  may  be  very 
busy  in  worldly  things,  a  "wide-awake  man," 
his  neighbours  may  call  him  ambitious,  alert, 
diligent,  successful — but  if  he  does  not  think  of 
God  and  the  other  world,  he  is  asleep.  The  world 
is  full  of  such  people,  and  we  ought  to  try  to 
wake  them  up  before  it  is  too  late. 

Night  covers  many  deeds  of  sin  and  shame. 
When  day  comes  wrongdoing  hangs  its  head.  We 
are  living  in  the  light  and  we  should  be  ashamed 
to  continue  doing  the  things  of  darkness.  Here 
again  we  touch  the  saloon  business.     Surely  it 


ROMANS  XIII:  8-14  153 

is  among  the  ** works  of  darkness."  Even  saloon- 
keepers practically  admit  this,  for  who  ever  saw 
a  saloon  open  to  the  light  and  to  all  eyes,  as  other 
kinds  of  business  are?  Its  windows  are  made 
dim  or  opaque,  and  its  doors  are  made  to  shut 
quickly  after  a  man  enters.  No  one  passing  out- 
side can  see  what  is  going  on  inside.  This  itself 
is  a  confession  which  puts  a  question  on  the  busi- 
ness. If  all  were  open  to  the  public,  as  a  dry- 
goods  store,  men  would  be  ashamed  to  go  in. 

In  the  thirteenth  verse  we  come  again  upon 
intemperance, ''Let  us  walk  .  .  .  not  in  revel- 
ling and  drunkenness."  Whatever  anyone  may 
say  about  the  Bible's  position  on  the  question  of 
wines,  there  is  not  a  shadow  of  doubt  where  it 
stands  concerning  drunkenness.  It  puts  it  down 
among  the  most  debasing  of  sins,  the  most  de- 
grading, the  most  ruinous  of  all  vices.  Can  there 
be  anything  more  unworthy  of  a  man  with  an  im- 
mortal nature  than  to  get  drunk?  Of  course,  no 
one  intends  to  get  drunk  when  he  begins  to  drink. 
But  the  story  is  too  familiar  to  need  writing  out — 
of  the  end  of  nine  cases  out  of  ten  of  moderate 
drinking.  The  only  absolute  safety  is  total  ab- 
stinence. 

The  only  true  way  to  get  rid  of  the  wrong 
things  in  our  life  is  to  put  on  Christ.  Being  good 
merely  by  not  being  bad  is  not  enough.  There- 
is  a  striking  parable  of  an  expelled  evil  spirit. 
He  went  out  of  the  man  under  some  pressure, 
and    wandered,    desolate    and    restless,    through 


164  THE  LAW  OF  LOVE 

deserts  until,  finding  it  torture  not  to  be  injuring 
soone  one,  he  wandered  back  to  bis  old  place  and 
found  the  man  in  whom  he  had  dwelt.  He 
found  his  old  house  swept  and  garnished,  but 
empty  yet,  and  gathering  up  some  other  demons 
worse  than  himself,  he  reentered  the  unoccupied 
bouse,  and  the  last  state  of  that  man  was  worse 
than  the  first.  It  is  not  enough  to  put  out  the 
demoji;  we  must  also  admit  the  Christ  into  our 
heart's  house.  Emptiness  is  always  a  condition 
of  peril. 


CHAPTEEXXm 

ABSTAINING   FOR  THE   SAKE    OP   OTHERS 

Read  I  Cor.  VIII 

When  Paul  said  to  tlie  Corinthians  that  ' 'knowl- 
edge puft'eth  up,"  he  did  not  mean  to  depreciate 
knowledge,  nor  was  he  glorifying  ignorance. 
Knowledge  builds  up,  too.  He  who  is  content 
to  be  ignorant  in  this  world  while  the  stores  of 
knowledge  are  so  accessible,  fails  to  grasp  the 
meaning  of  life.  Knowledge  makes  one's  life 
broadeir  and  deeper  and  adds  to  one's  power  of 
usefuhiess.  But  there  is  a  knowledge  which  makes 
a  man  cold,  haughty  and  proud.  He  stalks 
through  the  world,  thinking  only  of  himself,  with- 
out regard  to  others.  He  knows — and  he  thinks 
no  further  about  it.  He  says  it  is  no  business  of 
his  if  any  weaker  Christians  are  hurt.  They 
ought  not  to  be  so  weak.  It  is  all  nonsense  for 
them  to  keep  their  old  superstitions.  They  can- 
not expect  him  to  limit  his  privileges  by  their 
narrow  scruples.  He  is  going  to  eixercise  his  lib- 
erty without  regard  to  any  such  childish  whims. 
We  may  apply  the  principle  to  the  matter  of 
temperance.  A  man  claims  his  right  to  take  a 
glass  of  wine  at  dinner.  He  has  always  done 
it,  and  it  has  never  hurt  him.     All  about  him 

166 


156  ABSTAINING  FOR  SAKE  OF  OTHERS 

are  those  who  are  not  so  strong  as  he  is.  His 
example  may  lead  them  into  a  course  which  will 
be  ruinous  in  the  end.  But  he  knows  he  has  a 
right  to  his  wine,  and  that  it  will  do  him  no 
harm ;  so  he  refuses  to  think  of  others.  They  have 
no  right  to  be  ''weak"  in  this  intellectual  age. 
Thus  mere  ''knowledge"  puffs  up,  makes  one 
haughty,  vain,  coldly  selfish. 

But  while  "knowledge  puffeth  up,"  "love  edi- 
fieth."  Love  may  know  just  as  much  as  knowl- 
edge does.  The  man  who  has  love  knows  there  is 
no  harm  in  eating  these  meats.  But  he  knows  also 
that  there  are  Christians  only  recently  con- 
verted who  think  differently.  If  he  asserts  his 
privilege  he  knows  it  will  grieve  them,  and  also 
may  lead  them  to  violate  their  conscience  and  thus 
start  on  a  course  of  sin  which  will  end  in  the 
loss  of  their  souls.  This  man,  with  love  as  well 
as  knowledge,  thinks  of  other  people,  and  denies 
himself  his  liberty  rather  than  harm  them  by  his 
example.  In  the  case  of  winei,  this  same  man 
may  feel  just  as  confident  as  the  other  of  the 
harmlessness  to  himself  of  his  glass  of  drink; 
but  he  knows  that  not  all  are  fortified  as  he  is 
against  the  dangers  of  the  wine  cup,  and  he  be- 
lieves that  Christian  love  requires  him  to  deny 
himself  rather  than  put  the  least  danger  before 
any  weaker  person.  He  does  not  talk  haughtily 
about  his  "rights"  and  "liberty."  He  believes 
that  it  is  his  business  to  limit  his  privileges  for 
the  sake  of  his  weaker  brethren. 


I  CORINTHIANS  Vin  157 

Even  knowledge  depends  upon  love — "if  any 
man  loveth  God,  the  same  is  known  by  him. "  We 
cannot  know  any  person  truly  unless  we  love  the 
person.  Mere  knowledge  sees  people  critically, 
sees  their  faults,  the  blemishes  in  them,  the  mis- 
takes they  make,  the  evil  things  they  do,  but  sees 
not  the  good.  It  takes  love,  mingled  with  knowl- 
edge, to  see  people  as  they  really  are.  We  should 
have  patience  with  all  men.  We  should  be  chari- 
table to  all,  and  charity  covers  a  multitude  of 
sins.  Our  Lord's  own  teaching  is,  '^  Judge  not, 
that  ye  be  not  judged."  If  only  we  would  see 
people  through  eyes  of  love  we  should  ofttimes 
find  beauty  where  now  we  find  only  spot  and 
stain.  One  of  the  old  legends  of  Jesus  says  that 
as  He  and  the  disciples  walked  one  day  they 
saw  a  dead  dog  lying  by  the  wayside.  The  dis- 
ciples turned  with  loatliing  from  the  dead  crea- 
ture, but  Jesus  remarked,  ''What  beautiful  teeth 
this  animal  has !"  He  saw  beauty  even  amid  the 
ruin  and  loathsomeness  of  death.  An  eye  for  the 
good  and  beautiful  in  others  is  a  mark  of  a  fine, 
large  nature.  We  never  can  be  of  much  use  in 
the  world  until  we  learn  this  lesson. 

Charity  should  make  us  mindful  of  others 
who  have  not  the  same  advantages  as  we  have. 
Certain  things  may  do  us  no  harnL,  but  those  very 
things  may  do  harm  to  others.  The  harm  is  in 
the  influence  of  example  on  those  whose  ''con- 
science being  weak  is  defiled."  Being  influenced 
by  the  example  of  the  strong  Christian,  they  do 


158  ABSTAINING  FOR  SAKE  OF  OTHERS 

that  wHcli  tliey  regard  as  wrong.  Thus  they  sin 
against  God.  This  meat  question,  which  dis- 
turbed the  Corinthians,  will  not  come  up  in  our 
modem  church  life,  but  there  are  other  applica- 
tions of  the  same  principle.  It  touches  all  per- 
sonal liberty  in  matters  involving  no  moral  wrong. 
May  a  man  drink  wine  ?  How  richly  may  a  Chris- 
tian woman  dress  at  church?  How  fine  a  resi- 
dence may  a  Christian  man  build  and  live  in? 
What  games  and  amusements  may  Christian 
people  enjoy?  How  far  may  a  man  by  honest 
methods  enlarge  his  business  in  a  community 
where  others  are  struggling  for  success? 

There  are  some  things  which  we  must  never 
yield.  We  must  never  violate  a  moral  principle 
even  to  please  some  other  one.  We  have  no 
right  to  break  any  commandment  of  God  for  any- 
body's sake.  It  is  only  in  matters  involving  no 
moral  principle  that  we  are  to  be  ready  to  yield 
our  liberty.  It  is  no  recomm  endation  of  us  in 
God's  sight  that  we  do  or  do  not  eat  certain 
kinds  of  food.  The  laws  of  diet  are  not  moral 
laws.  We  must  be  ready,  thBrefore,  to  deny  our- 
selves things  that  we  like  if  the  using  of  them 
will  do  harm  to  others. 

The  example  of  the  strong  emboldens  the 
weak  to  do  that  which  he  himself  thinks  to  be 
wrong,  and  when  a  man  once  violates  his  con- 
science he  has  broken  down  the  fence  and  started 
on  a  course  the  end  of  which  may  be  destruction. 
It  is  a  terrible  thing  to  do  even  the  slightest 


I  CORINTHIANS  VIH  159 

wrong.  Jesus  said  to  those  wlio  cause  others  to 
stumble,  "Wlioso  shall  cause  one  of  these  little 
ones  that  believe  on  me  to  stumble,  it  is  profit- 
able for  him  that  a  great  millstone  should  be 
hanged  about  his  neck,  and  that  he  should  be 
sunk  in  the  depth  of  the  sea."  Such  startling- 
words  from  the  Master's  own  lips  should  make 
us  tremble  at  the  very  thought  of  causing  another 
to  stumble.  He  may  stumble  into  hell,  and  it 
will  be  our  fault. 

We  must  see.  to  it  that  never  through  our 
knowledge,  that  is,  through  our  selfishness  in  de- 
termining not  to  give  up  a.  privilege,  does  "he 
that  is  weak"  perish,  "the  brother  for  whose  sake 
Christ  died."  It  does  not  mean  that  we  tempt 
the  other  to  some  great  sin,  but  that  we  forget 
that  he  may  be  influenced  by  our  example.  Thus 
we  see  the  importance  of  example.  We  dare  not 
strut  through  this  world,  doing  just  as  we  please, 
as  if  it  mattered  not,  as  if  it  were  no  one's  affair. 
We  must  walk  softly,  ever  asking  ourselves  what 
the  effect  of  our  walk  will  be  upon  others. 

Saint  Paul  laid  down  a  principle  for  all  time 
when  he  said,  "If  meat  causeth  my  brother  to 
stumble,  I  will  eat  no  flesh  for  evermiore." 
Elsewhere  he  says,  "It  is  good  not  to  eat  flesh, 
nor  to  drink  wine,  nor  to  do  anything  whereby 
thy  brother  stumbleth."  This  was  Paul's  appli- 
cation of  the  law  of  love.  He  would  rather,  as 
long  as  he  lived,  forego  the  exercise  of  a  personal 
right,  the  indulgence  of  a  personal  taste,  than 


160  ABSTAINING  FOR  SAKE  OF  OTHERS 

run  the  risk  of  causing  another  to  sin.  It  is  good 
not  to  drink  wine,  however  harmless  one  may 
think  it  to  be,  if  it  may  make  another  stumble. 
Here  we  have  a  good  temperance  motive.  Sup- 
pose that  a  man  is  satisfied  that  he  has  a  right 
to  drink  moderately,  and  that  he  can  do  so  with 
perfect  safety  to  himself  and  without  sinning; 
but  suppose  also  that  his  example  may  cause 
others  who  are  weaker  to  drink,  and  that  they 
will  drink  to  the  destruction  of  their  souls.  What 
does  this  principle  of  St.  Paul's  say  to  this  man? 
Very  clearly,  that  he  should  forego  his  liberty 
forever  rather  than  cause  his  brother  to  do  wrong. 
The  application  is  very  wide,  referring  to  every 
possible  cause:  **It  is  good  not  .  .  .  to  do 
anything  whereby  thy  brother  stumbleth." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

A  LESSON  IN  SELF-DENIAL. 

Read  I  Cor.  X:  23-33 

Intemperance  is  a  sore  peril.  We  cannot  at  once 
remove  the  temptation  from  the  land,  but  we 
may  put  into  the  hearts  and  mdnds  of  young  peo- 
ple such  principles  and  such  motives  that  they 
may  be  able  to  resist  the  temptations  about  them 
and  keep  themselves  pure  and  safe,  clean  and 
unspotted.  Our  Lord's  prayer  for  His  disciples 
was  not  that  they  should  be  taken  out  of  the 
world,  away  from  its  evil,  but  that  they  should 
be  kept  from  the  evil. 

The  passage  is  a  discussion  of  the  question 
of  personal  liberty  and  duty  to  others — how  far 
we  may  exercise  our  liberty,  and  where  and  how 
far  we  are  required  by  the  law  of  love  to  deny 
ourselves  practices  or  enjoyments  for  the  sake  of 
others.  This  question  has  an  obvious  bearing  on 
the  matter  of  strong  drink.  Some  men  claim 
that  they  have  a  right  to  use  wines  and  other 
liquors  so  long  as  they  do  not  use  them  to  excess. 
They  claim  that  no  one  has  a  right  to  interfere 
with  their  privilege  in  this  regard,  and  that  they 
are  not  required  to  think  of  the  influence  which 
11  161 


162         A  LESSON  IN  SELF-DENIAL 

tlie  exercise  of  their  liberty  may  exert  on  others 
about  them.  Are  they  right  in  their  contention? 
or  is  there  a  higher  law  which  requires  them  to 
deny  themselves  if  there  is  danger  that  the  exer- 
cise of  their  liberty  shall  hurt  others,  lead  them 
to  put  their  lives  in  peril? 

Saint  Paul  says,  first,  that  there  are  things 
which  are  lawful,  but  which  are  not  expedient. 
When  he  says,  ''All  things  are  lawful,"  he  does 
not  mean  sinful  things.  These  are  never  right. 
He  is  referring  directly  to  the  eating  of  meats 
which  have  been  offered  to  idols.  He  is  entirely 
satisfied  himself  that  the  meats  were  not  affected 
by  their  being  taken  into  an  idol  temple,  since  an 
idol  is  nothing — ^only  a  piece  of  wood  or  stone. 
It  is  ''lawful"  for  him  to  eat  such  meats.  God 
does  not  care  what  kind  of  wholesome  food  we 
eat — ^it  is  our  moral  acts  of  which  He  takes  notice. 
Paul  says  that  all  such  things  were  lawful  to  him. 
That  is,  so  far  as  he  was  personally  concerned, 
it  was  no  sin  for  him  to  eat  of  these  meats  which 
had  been  carried  first  to  an  idol  temple. 

Yet  that  is  not  the  end  of  the  answer.  "But 
not  all  things  are  expedient,"  he  adds.  There 
may  be  things  that  are  right  enough  on  simple 
moral  grounds,  and  yet  which  as  Christians  it  is 
not  well  that  we  should  do.  If  we  were  Alexander 
Selkirks,  living  alone  on  our  little  island,  and 
no  other  person  lived  anywhere  about  us,  the  ques- 
tion would  be  very  much  simplified.  We  might 
do  as  we  please,  then,  so  far  as  right  things  are 


I  CORINTHIANS  X :  23-33  163 

concerned.  We  may  play  our  flute  or  keep  our 
noisy  phonograph  going  all  night,  if  it  gives  us 
any  pleasure,  for  there  is  nobody  next  door  nor 
anybody  near  to  be  annoyed  or  kept  awake  by 
the  exercise  of  our  liberty.  But  if  we  have  neigh- 
bours, if  there  is  a  sick  person  in  the  house  next 
to  ours,  that  introduces  a  new  element  into  the 
question.  *'Let  no  man  seek  his  own,  but  each 
his  neighbour's  good.'^  We  may  not  disturb  our 
neighbour 's  rest  at  midnight  with  our  piano.  We 
may  not  distress  the  sick  woman  next  door  with 
our  noisy  phonograph.  We  must  think  of  the 
other  person,  and  be  ready  to  deny  ourselves  any 
dear  liberty  of  our  own  if  it  is  going  to  cause 
hurt  or  give  pain  or  trouble  to  another.  The 
other's  good  is  to  be  thought  about  before  our 
own  pleasure. 

You  have  a  right  to  eat  any  food  you  wish, 
not  troubling  as  to  whether  it  may  have  been 
offered  to  idols  or  not.  But  if  some  one  calls  your 
attention  to  the  fact  that  certain  food  has  been 
offered  in  sacrifice,  you  must  stop  for  conscience' 
sake — that  is,  for  the  sake  of  the  conscience  of 
the  person  who  spoke  to  you  about  it  and  who 
thinks  it  wrong  to  eat  it.  That  is,  you  must  deny 
yourself  your  own  liberty  in  the  matter  because 
the  exercise  of  that  liberty  would  do  harm  to 
another  person. 

Paul  gathers  the  whole  question  into  one  won- 
derful, comprehensive  and  luminous  sentence, 
**  Whether  therefore  ye  eat,  or  drink,  or  whatso- 


164:         A  LESSON  IN  SELF-DENIAL 

ever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God."  We  are 
to  do  everything  to  the  glory  of  God — ^that  settles 
it  all.  That  is  one  standard  of  Christian  living. 
Selfishness  is  not,  never  can  be,  to  the  glory  of 
God.  We  must  think  of  the  people  about  us,  of 
their  comfort,  of  their  good,  of  the  influence  of 
our  acts  upon  them.  We  must  think  of  the  weak 
brother  for  whom  Christ  died,  and  not  by  our 
liberty  cause  him  to  stumble. 

It  is  very  easy  to  apply  the  principle  of  this 
lesson  to  the  use  of  strong  drink.  Nothing  comes 
in  here  concerning  the  matter  of  strong  drink 
in  its  effect  upon  the  person  himself.  The  man 
to  whom  this  argument  is  specially  directed  is  the 
man  who  claims  the  liberty  to  drink  moderately, 
temperately,  as  he  likes  to  call  it.  He  says  he 
has  a  perfect  right  to  do  so.  In  one  sense,  he  has. 
If  there  were  no  other  persons  about  him  to  be 
influenced  by  his  example,  if  he  is  satisfied  in 
his  own  conscience  that  he  can  drink  moderately 
and  yet  safely,  no  one  could  say  a  word  against 
his  exercising  his  liberty.  But  if  he  has  boys 
growing  up  in  his  own  home,  or  brothers,  or 
friends,  or  companions,  or  neighbours,  who  may 
be  influenced  to  follow  in  his  steps,  and  who  may 
not  be  able,  as  he  claims  to  be,  to  stop  inside  the 
danger  line,  the  question  is  different.  Then,  is 
he  not  bound  by  the  higher  law  of  love  to  abridge 
his  own  liberty,  to  sacrifice  his  own  desires,  to 
deny  himself  his  lawful  indulgence,  lest  he  might 
put  a  stumblingblock  in  the  way  of  weaker  ones? 


I  COEINTHIANS  X :  23-33  165 

But  this  is  not  the  only  phase  of  the  tem- 
perance question  which  we  must  consider.  In 
teaching  children  and  young  people,  it  must  seem 
to  he  necessary  also  to  present  always  the  duty 
of  abstaining  for  one's  own  sake  as  well  as  for 
the  sake  of  others.  Every  boy  should  want  to 
make  the  most  possible  of  his  life,  and  the  use 
of  strong  drink  works  ruin  in  everyone.  It  does 
harm  to  his  body.  It  injures  him  mentally.  Then, 
it  destroys  his  spiritual  power.  It  robs  him  of 
that  delicate  refinement  which  is  an  ornament  to 
the  life  that  possesses  it.  It  leads  him  into  com- 
panionships and  associations  which  are  degrading 
and  debasing.  As  a  result,  he  loses  his  good 
name,  the  respect  of  worthy  people,  and  the  con- 
fidence of  the  community.  What  the  final  out- 
come will  be  need  not  be  sketched  here'. 

On  the  other  hand,  boys  should  be  helped  to 
realize  and  always  to  remember  that  a  clean, 
pure,  wholesome,  self -restrained  youth  is  the  be- 
ginning of  a  noble  and  worthy  manhood.  The 
boys  have  only  one  boyhood.  Some  things  they 
can  experiment  jon,  trying  different  ways,  to  see 
which  is  the  best.  But  there  is  no  room  for 
experiment  in  living.  *' Youth  comes  twice  to 
none. ' '  Life  has  been  compared  to  an  arrow  which 
flies  as  it  is  directed  on  the  string.  If  it  is  aimed 
westward,  it  cannot  possibly  fly  eastward.  If  the 
life  begins  wrong  in  boyhood  and  youth,  if  it  is 
directed  toward  dissoluteness  and  debauchery, 
there  is  little  hope  that  it  ever  can  be  turned 


166         A  LESSON  IN  SELF-DENIAL 

about  so  as  to  attain  the  beauty,  the  nobleness, 
and  the  worthiness  of  an  honoured  manhood.  Let 
the  boys  think  of  this  matter  seriously  and  begin 
right.  If  they  do  this,  they  will  find  it  easy  to 
make  all  their  life  manly  and  noble. 


:CHAPTEE  XXV 

THE  LOED's  SUPPEE 

Bead  I  Cor.  XI:  20-34 

We  ought  to  have  true  and  right  views  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  It  is  a  sacred  ordinance.  It 
leads  us  to  think  of  the  death  of  our  dearest 
Friend,  and  we  are  reverent  always  in  the  pres- 
ence of  death  or  when  thinking  of  death.  It  is 
the  death  of  the  Son  of  God  of  which  this  memorial 
leads  us  to  think,  and  that  was  the  most  wonder- 
ful death  that  ever  took  place  on  this  earth.  When 
a  king  dies  the  whole  land  stands  uncovered ;  what 
should  be  our  emotion  when  God's  Son  bows  His 
head  and  dies?  The  object  of  this  death  ought 
to  add  to  its  sacredness  in  our  sight.  He  died  for 
us,  to  save  us. 

To  the  Christians  St.  Paul  wrote,  ''When 
therefore  ye  assemble  yourselves  together,  it  is 
not  possible  to  eat  the  Lord's  supper."  Why? 
Because  of  the  spirit  in  which  they  met  together. 
There  were  dissensions  and  strifes  among  them. 
Besides,  there  was  no  reverence  in  their  meeting. 
They  did  not  understand  the  true  meaning  of 
the  Lord's  Supper.  They  had  no  thought  of  its 
sacredness.    They  met  for  eating  and  drinking, 

167 


168  THE  LOED'S  SUPPER 

as  if  it  were  a  revel  they  were  keeping  rather 
than  a  solemn  act  of  worship.  It  was  impossible 
to  eat  the  Lord's  Supper  in  such  a  way  as  that. 
We  have  no  such  temptation  in  these  days. 
Everywhere  this  sacrament  is  invested  with 
sacredness  and  is  observed  reverently — at  least 
as  to  form.  Still,  even  this  wild  abuse  is  not 
without  its  lessons  for  us.  We  can  truly  receive 
the  Lord's  Supper  only  when  we  take  it  with 
hearts  in  full  accord  with  its  holy  meaning.  Strife 
and  bitterness  unfit  us  for  it.  We  ought  to  have 
love  the  one  for  the  other,  without  resentment, 
without  anger,  without  jealousy  or  envy.  The 
rich  and  the  poor  meet  together  at  the  Lord's 
table,  and  it  ought  to  be  indeed  as  brethren.  The 
highest  and  the  lowest  in  earthly  position  sit 
there  side  by  side,  and  there  should  be  the  sweet- 
est accord  of  spirit.  Before  God  they  are  one. 
Without  any  of  the  wild  orgies  that  dishonoured 
the  Lord's  Supper  at  Corinth,  it  is  yet  possible, 
even  with  all  our  decorousness,  to  make  it  a  mock- 
ery^  If  we  make  it  only  an  empty  form,  without 
love,  without  faith,  without  a  discerning  of  the 
Lord's  body,  without  any  true  dependence  upon 
the  atonement  of  Christ,  without  any  spiritual 
receiving  of  the  things  represented  in  the  sacred 
emblems,  is  our  receiving  of  it  anything  that 
pleases  God?  Is  it  possible  for  us,  when  we  come 
together  thus,  to  eat  the  Lord's  Supper? 

The  apostle  went  into  particulars  as  to  the 
sins  that  kept  them  from  receiving  the  blessing 


I  CORINTHIANS  XI :  20-34  169 

Jesus  planned  for  those  wlio  eat  at  His  table: 
*'In  your  eating  each  one  taketh  before  other  his 
own  supper;  and  one  is  hungry,  and  another  is 
drunken."  Those  who  stumble  so  at  the  word 
** unworthily"  in  verse  twenty-seven  should  study 
this  verse  carefully  as  it  gives  the  sense  of  ''un- 
worthily" as  it  is  there  used.  The  Lord's  Supper 
was  most  sadly  profaned  by  these  early  Chris- 
tians. When  the  time  came  for  it,  while  the  poor 
people  present  were  hungry,  not  having  had  any 
share  in  the  ''love  feast"  that  preceded,  another 
*'set"  were  really  drunken  from  overindulgence. 
It  is  easy  to  understand  what  St.  Paul  meant  by 
eating  and  drinking  unworthily,  as  he  had  these 
Corinthian  scenes  in  his  mind.  Another  sugges- 
tion is  that  the  permeation  of  the  Church  with 
the  spirit  of  Christ  was  not  a  sudden  attainment, 
but  was  gradual.  Our  present  high  conception  of 
what  Christians  should  be,  how  they  should  live, 
is  the  growth  of  centuries.  Not  all  the  "good 
days"  are  behind  us,  as  some  croakers  tell  us. 

Paul  emphasizes  the  sacred  character  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  by  telling  its  history.  Paul  was 
not  present  at  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. He  was  not  a  Christian  for  some  time  after 
Christ's  death.  Yet  he  did  not  get  his  knowl- 
edge of  that  wonderful  night  from  the  apostles 
who  were  at  the  table.  He  received  it  directly 
from  the  Master  Himself.  This  gives  us  a  hint 
of  Paul's  relation  to  Christ,  his  intimacy  with 
Him,  and  the  reality  of  his  communion  with  Him. 


170  THE  LOED'S  SUPPER 

Unless  we  make  Paul  an  impostor,  it  is  one  of  the 
strongest  evidences  of  Christ  ^s  resurrection  and 
life  in  glory  that  He  made  Himself  known  to  him 
and  made  important  revelations  to  him.  He  seems 
to  have  talked  with  this  apostle  familiarly  as  one 
talks  with  a  friend.  Then  Paul  became  a  witness 
to  us  of  the  resurrection,  ascension  and  glory  of 
the  Saviour. 

The  time  of  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per ought  to  be  noted.  It  was  not  on  a  pleasant 
day  on  the  seashore,  When  the  sun  was  shining 
brightly  and  the  birds  were  singing  sweetly  and 
the  heart  of  the  Master  was  made  glad  by  the 
kindness  of  the  people.  The  words,  ' '  the  night  in 
which  he  was  betrayed,'*  tell  the  whole  story  of 
the  time.  It  was  just  before  He  went  out  to  the 
Garden.  He  knew  all  that  lay  before  Him — that 
the  traitor  had  now  gone  out,  during  the  passion 
supper,  to  arrange  to  betray  Him;  that  before 
the  morning  He  would  be  dragged  as  a  criminal 
before  the  Sanhedrin,  and  that  to-morrow  before 
nine  o'clock  He  would  be  hanging  on  a  cross  in 
shame.  Yet,  knowing  all  the  terrible  events  that 
were  to  be  crowded  into  that  night  and  the  next 
day.  He  took  all  the  first  part  of  the  night  for 
sweet  and  loving  intercourse  with  His  friends. 
He  sat  down  with  them  at  the  passover  meal. 
Then,  at  the  close  of  this,  He  instituted  the  me- 
morial supper,  after  which  He  sat  and  talked 
with  them  in  tender,  loving  way,  and  then  prayed 
with  them  "and  for  them.    All  this  shows  the  utter 


I  CORINTHIANS  XI :  20-34  171 

self-forgetfulness  of  our  Lord.  He  did  not  let 
His  own  approaching  sorrow  and  death  cast  any 
shadow  upon  the  hearts  of  His  disciples.  Instead, 
His  love  made  those  last  hours  the  most  sacred 
they  had  ever  enjoyed  with  Him.  There  is  a 
lesson  here  for  us.  We  ought  to  do  as  Jesus  did, 
and  should  never  permit  our  grief  to  make  us 
selfish.  In  all  our  own  sufferings  we  should  hide 
away  our  pain  and  pour  only  the  chastened  love 
of  our  hearts  upon  others.  It  comes  to  us  from 
the  very  night  of  Christ  ^s  anguish.  It  is  a  me- 
morial of  His  bitter  sorrows. 

In  the  midst  of  His  sorrow,  Jesus  gave  thanks. 
Then  He  brake  the  bread  and  said,  "This  is  my 
body,  which  is  for  you."  The  thanksgiving  that 
night,  amid  all  the  gathering  woe,  is  very  remark- 
able. Surely  we  should  always  give  thanks  for 
our  mercies,  even  in  the  darkest  hours  of  our  life. 
No  gift  should  be  taken  from  the  hand  of  God  at 
any  time  without  gratitude.  Suppose  there  is  a 
great  grief  in  your  home,  or  the  shadow  of  an 
overwhelming  sorrow  is  hanging  over  your  home ; 
when  you  gather  at  the  table  for  thei  family  meal, 
lift  up  your  hearts  and  thank  God  for  what  He 
has  given  you.  The  Lord's  Supper  should  be 
eaten  always  with  thanksgiving,  even  in  the  dark- 
est hour.  The  breaking  of  the  bread  was  also 
suggestive.  Thus,  too,  was  His  body  about  to  be 
broken.  We  feed  on  broken  bread.  Many  of  our 
sweetest  blessings  come  to  us  from  or  in  broken 
things.     ''Bread  corn  is  bruised."    We  do  not 


172  THE  LORD'S  SUPPER 

eat  tlie  wheat  whole,  but  crushed.  The  alabaster 
box  was  broken  that  the  ointment  in  it  might 
flow  out  to  anoint  Christ  and  to  fill  the  house  and 
the  world  with  the  odor.  We  get  the  blessings 
of  forgiveness  and  the  divine  grace  only  when 
our  hearts  are  broken.  ''My  body,  which  is  for 
you."  This  tells  us  all.  It  lays  bare  the  very 
heart  of  the  Saviour. 

Jesus  asked  His  disciples  to  eat  in  remem- 
brance of  Him.  We  are  very  forgetful  creatures. 
One  of  the  exhortations  of  the  Psalmist  is  to  his 
own  soul,  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Third  Psalm, 
that  he  should  not  forget  God's  benefits.  But 
that  is  the  very  thing  we  are  quickest  to  do.  We 
do  not  appreciate  the  true  value  of  the  monuments 
or  memorials  in  keeping  alive  the  memory  of 
past  deeds  or  great  events.  We  do  not  know 
how  much  of  our  vivid  thought  of  Christ's  death 
we  owe  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  which  is  observed 
so  often.  The  chief  reason  Christ  gave  it  to  His 
Church  was  that  we  might  never  forget  His  love, 
His  sufferings.  His  death  for  us.  One  morning 
a  young  man,  an  Englishman,  at  that  time  living 
in  Philadelphia  and  attending  the  church  of  which 
I  was  pastor,  came  into  my  study,  and  drawing 
from  his  pocket  a  letter,  opened  it,  showing  me, 
in  among  the  folds,  some  pressed  flowers.  * '  These 
are  from  my  mother's  grave  in  England,"  he 
said.  Then,  with  exceeding  tenderness,  he 
spoke  of  his  mother,  her  sweet  life,  her  love,  her 
thoughtfulness,  her  trust  in  Christ,  her  beautiful 


I  CORINTHIANS  XI :  20-34  173 

death.  The  letter  he  held  was  from  his  sister 
at  home,  and  she  had  plucked  these  flowers  from 
the  grave  of  the  precious  mother  and  sent  them 
across  the  sea  to  him.  No  wonder  they  recalled 
afresh  all  her  sweet  life.  In  the  communion  serv- 
ice we  have  flowers  from  the  grave  of  Christ,  and 
they  bring  back  to  us  all  the  tender  recollections, 
helping  us  to  think  anew  of  His  love  and  its  great 
sacrifice  for  us. 

After  breaking  the  bread,  Jesus  gave  the  cup, 
with  the  explanation,  ''This  cup  is  the  new  cove- 
nant in  my  blood. '  ^  The  Lord 's  Supper  is  a  silent 
sermon,  telling  to  the  world  tbat  Christ  died  and 
that  we  are  His  followers.  It  is  not  a  proclaiming 
of  our  own  goodness,  that  we  are  better  than 
others.  In  taking  our  place  at  Christ's  table, 
we  say  to  all  men  that  we  are  sinners,  that  Christ 
died  for  us,  and  that  our  sole  dependence  is  upon 
the  merits  of  His  blood.  Some  people  shrink 
from  a  public  confession  as  if  it  were  a  setting 
of  themselves  before  the  world  as  better  than 
others,  as  if  it  were  a  heralding  of  their  religion. 
But  it  is  not  a  ''profession  of  religion"  that  we 
make  when  we  unite  with  the  Church  and  come  to 
the  Lord's  table,  but  a  "confession  of  Christ." 
The^e  is  a  great  difference  in  these  two  phrases. 
Here  it  is  a  proclaiming,  not  of  our  own  good- 
ness, that  we  make  at  the  communion,  but  of  the 
death  of  Christ.  We  honour  Christ,  we  humble 
ourselves,  for  we  put  ourselves  behind  the  death, 
the  cross  of  Christ,  and  hide  there.    We  are  not 


174  THE  LORD'S  SUPPER 

seen  at  all — ^it  is  Christ's  death  for  sinners  that 
is  seen. 

A  great  many  conscientious  people  have  been 
sorely  troubled  by  verse  twenty-seven.  They  have 
felt  themselves  unworthy  and  have  supposed  that 
the  verse  referred  to  them.  But  it  is  the  manner 
of  receiving  the  sacrament  that  is  referred  to. 
Saint  Paul  was  thinking  of  what  he  had  spoken  in 
the  first  verses  considered  in  the  chapter.  In  a 
certain  sense  no  one  is  truly  worthy,  for  all  are 
sinners.  But  the  gospel  is  for  sinners  who  con- 
fess their  sins  and  believe  on  Christ  as  their 
Saviour.  All  who  are  sincerely  trusting  Christ 
and  striving  to  follow  Him  are  made  welcome  at 
His  table.  The  lesson  of  this  verse  is  against 
all  irreverence,  all  levity,  whatever  would  pro- 
fane the  sacred  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  Supper; 
but  the  lowliest  Christian  who  is  sincere  and  true 
in  heart  is  welcome  and  need  not  fear  to  come. 


CHAPTEE  XXVI 

PAUL  ON"  CHRISTIAN  LOVE 

Bead  I  Cor.  XIII 

Paul  was  speaking  of  the  spiritual  gifts  which 
were  conferred  upon  Christians,  and  there  flashed 
upon  his  mind  a  vision  of  something  far  better 
than  any  power  of  healing  or  miracle-working  or 
speaking  with  tongues.  This  more  excellent  way 
is  the  way  of  love. 

Love  is  better  than  eloquence.  ''If  I  speak 
with  the  tongues  of  men  and  of  angels,  but  have 
not  love,  I  am  become  sounding  brass."  One  who 
can  talk  in  a  number  of  languages  is  regarded 
as  an  accomplished  man.  But  one  may  be  a  good 
linguist  and  a  good  orator  and  yet  not  be  a  good 
Christian.  To  be  a  Christian  is  to  have  love. 
Love  is  better  than  great  learning.  ''If  I  have 
the  gift  of  phophecy,  and  know  all  mysteries  and 
all  knowledge  .  .  .  but  have  not  love,  I  am 
nothing."  We  live  in  an  age  when  education  is 
highly  extolled.  The  training  of  the  mind  is  con- 
sidered of  the  highest  importance.  But  there  is 
something  better  than  knowledge.  One  may  be  a 
learned  scientist,  a  profound  philosopher,  may 
even  be  a  brilliant  theologian,  Imowing  the  Bible 

175 


176         PAUL  ON  CHRISTIAN  LOVE 

and  all  sacred  literature  and  Christian  doctrine, 
and  yet  be  nothing  as  God  rates  men.  We  are 
measured  before  God  by  the  love  that  is  in  our 
character.  In  every  foot  of  cordage  used  in  the 
British  navy  there  is  a  red  thread  so  intertwined 
that  it  cannot  be  taken  out  without  the  unraveling 
of  the  rope  or  cable.  In  every  true  character 
there  is  a  red  cord  of  love.  Christian  loving- 
kindness,  which  spreads  warmth  all  about  it,  like 
the  soft  light  or  the  sweet  fragrance  of  flowers, 
is  more  excellent  than  the  most  brilliant  learning. 
Love  is  better  than  benevolence.  *'If  I  bestow 
all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  .  .  .  but  have 
not  love,  it  profiteth  me  nothing."  It  is  not  the 
gift  that  God  blesses,  but  the  love  which  bestows 
the  gift;  not  the  service  rendered,  but  the  spirit 
which  prompts  the  service.  There  is  a  story  of 
a  king  who  built  a  great  temple,  paying  all  the 
cost  himself.  It  was  built  for  his  own  glory. 
When  the  time  of  dedication  came,  it  was  seen 
that  some  one  had  rubbed  off  the  king's  name  and 
put  in  its  place  that  of  a  poor  widow.  The  king 
was  greatly  amazed,  not  knowing  that  anyone  but 
himself  had  done  anything  in  the  building  of  this 
temple.  Inquiry  was  made,  and  the  woman  bear- 
ing the  name  came  tremblingly  into  the  king's 
presence.  When  he  demanded  of  her  what  she 
had  done  in  the  building  of  the  temple,  she  could 
think  of  nothing.  When  pressed  still  further,  she 
remembered  that  one  hot  day,  as  the  oxen  were 
drawing  stones  past  her  door,  she  had  in  pity 


I  COEINTHIANS  XIII  177 

gathered  some  handfuls  of  grass  and  given  them 
to  the  panting  beasts.  Pity  for  the  dumb  animals 
weighed  more  in  heaven's  sight  than  all  the  king's 
vast  outlay  of  treasure. 

In  a  few  striking  sentences  the  qualities  of 
love  are  sketched.  ''Love  suffereth  long,  and  is 
kind. ' '  The  first  touch  of  the  pencil  presents  love 
as  suffering.  Love  always  costs.  One  of  the  first 
things  to  be  learned  in  a  Christian  life  is  en- 
durance, sometimes  of  wrong,  ofttimes  of  injus- 
tice— not  enduring  merely,  but  patient  endurance. 
It  is  not  enough  to  bear  wrong  for  a  day  or  two — 
*'Love  suffereth  long."  Not  seven  times,  but 
seventy  times  seven  must  the  insult  or  injury  be 
patiently  borne  with.  Nor  is  it  enough  to  endure 
in  cold  silence  the  injuries.  ''Love  suffereth  long, 
and  is  kind," — keeps  a  gentle  heart,  continues  to 
do  good  for  evil,  to  bathe  with  fragrance  the 
hand  that  smites. 

"Love  envieth  not;  love  vaunteth  not  itself, 
is  not  puffed  up,  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly." 
Here  is  a  whole  cluster  of  bright  jewels  shining 
on  the  bosom  of  lovei.  It  does  not  envy.  Far 
more  than  we  are  willing  to  confess  does  the 
poison  of  envy  lurk  in  our  hearts.  Nothing  can 
be  more  unloving  than  this  spirit.  Love  re- 
joiceth  in  the  success  of  others.  We  should  train 
ourselves  to  be  glad  even  when  others  surpass  us. 

Love  is  humble.  It  does  not  pose  for  ad- 
miration or  praise,  nor  blow  its  own  trumpet,  nor 
put  on  airs  of  any  kind.  It  does  not  try  to  get 
12 


178  PAUL  ON  CHRISTIAN  LOVE 

into  places  it  is  not  fitted  to  fill.  Love  does  not 
''behave  itself  unseemly.'^  This  seems  to  refer 
to  one's  manners.  Love  is  refined,  gentle,  thought- 
ful, considerate.  If  anyone  makes  religion  un- 
lovely, he  is  presenting  only  a  caricature  of  it. 
Love  is  always  courteous. 

*'Love  .  .  .  seeketh  not  its  own."  The 
very  essence  of  love  is  unselfishness.  Just  in 
the  measure  that  we  are  truly  loving  will  we 
cease  to  think  of  ourselves.  The  motto  of  our 
Master  was,  ''Not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to 
minister." 

"Love  ...  is  mot  provoked."  Hasty 
temper  is  so  common  that  most  people  have  come 
to  think  of  it  as  only  a  kind  of  harmless  weak- 
ness, a  mere  infirmity.  Men  apologize  for  their 
friends  who  are  bad  tempered,  as  if  it  were  a 
small  matter.  But  really  it  is  a  sad  blemish  on 
character.  We  have  no  right  ever  to  say  a  harsh 
or  unkind  thing  anywhere,  especially  in  our  own 
home.  There  is  too  much  sulking  and  suUenness 
in  many  homes.  "When  we  feel  such  moods  coming 
upon  us  we  would  better  go  away  by  ourselves, 
and,  getting  down  on  our  knees  before  God,  fight 
the  battle  out,  not  leaving  our  refuge  until  we 
can  come  back  with  sweet  spirit  and  gentle,  kindly 
speech. 

Love  is  the  most  enduring  thing  in  the  world. 
It  "never  faileth."  Textbooks  that  are  a  few 
years  old  are  not  of  any  use  any  more.  Old 
machinery  is  constantly  being  replaced  by  new 


I  CORINTHIANS  XIII  179 

macliinery.  **We  know  in  part,  .  .  .  but 
when  that  which  is  perfect  is  come,  that  which 
is  in  part  shall  be  done  away."  We  may  be 
thankful  for  the  little  revealed  now,  for  it  serves 
us  well  on  the  way.  The  morning  dawn  is  very 
welcome  to  the  early  traveler,  but  it  is  only  partial 
day,  not  the  best.  When  the  full  day  comes  the 
dim  twilight  passes.  Lamps  in  our  homes  and 
on  our  streets  are  good  at  night,  when  darkness 
covers  the  earth.  But  their  light  is  not  perfect, 
and  when  the  sun  rises  we  care  no  longer  for  them 
and  put  them  out.  The  knowledge  we  have  on 
the  earth  serves  well  when  it  is  the  best  we  can 
have;  but  it  will  not  be  prized  when  heaven's 
perfect  knowledge  comes.  The  things  we  know 
here  are  but  the  scaffolding  which  men  set  up 
when  they  are  erecting  a  great  building.  It  serves 
a  good  purpose  for  the  time.  Without  it  the 
walls  never  could  be  built.  But  when  the  work 
is  finished,  men  do  not  prize  the  scaffolding.  They 
tear  it  down  and  take  it  away,  for  there  is  no 
longer  any  use  for  it.  So  the  gifts  and  graces 
and  all  the  experiences  of  earth,  which  serve  well 
enough  now,  will  be  discarded  and  left  behind 
when  we  reach  the  fullness  of  God. 

Of  all  things  in  the  world,  love  is  that  w^hich 
will  endure  as  the  most  imperishable.  ''Now 
abideth  faith,  hope,  love,  these  three;  and  the 
greatest  of  these  is  love."  We  should  gather 
treasure  which  we  can  carry  with  us  to  heaven. 
We  should  paint  pictures  which  will  not  fade  out 


180         PAUL  ON  CHRISTIAN  LOVE 

as  we  pass  through  the  valley.  We  should  do 
things  which  will  live  in  the  other  world  when 
this  world  has  vanished.  Three  things  are  named 
which  will  abide — faith,  hope,  love.  There  will 
always  be  faith,  for  we  shall  never  cease  to  trust 
God  and  believe  in  His  love.  There  will  always 
be  hope,  for  we  shall  never  reach  the  end  of 
growth  in  blessing.  But  greater  than  either  faith 
or  hope  is  love.  Wliatever  else  we  strive  for  in 
this  world,  we  should  put  love  always  first  in 
our  request.  The  one  great  lesson  to  be  learned 
in  all  life  is — love. 


CHAPTER  XXVn 

THE  EISEN   CHRIST 

Read  I  Cor.  XV:  3-28 

There  are  "first  things"  in  the  gospel,  things 
that  not  only  come  first,  but  are  first  in  im- 
portance. Not  all  truths  are  of  equal  value. 
There  are  some  we  must  know  in  order  to  be 
saved,  and  there  are  others  which  one  may  be 
ignorant  of  and  yet  be  saved.  The  truths  given 
by  St.  Paul  as  first  are  those  which  tell  us  of 
Christ's  death  for  our  sins  and  His  resurrection 
from  the  dead.  We  should  be  sure  that  we  under- 
stand these  great  teachings.  Some  people  in  these 
days  would  like  to  leave  out  these  great  facts  in 
receiving  Christ,  taking  Him  only  as  an  example 
and  as  a  Teacher.  But  this  is  not  enough  to  save 
us.  We  need  a  Redeemer  to  take  away  our  sins, 
and  we  need  a  victorious  Saviour  who  has  con- 
quered all  enemies  for  us — including  death — and 
is  able  to  save  us  out  of  all  our  distresses.  The 
cross  and  the  broken  grave  are  the  true  symbols 
of  our  redemption. 

The  scarlet  line  of  the  Redeemer's  blood  runs 
through  all  the  Scriptures.  We  find  it  in  the  law 
of  sacrifices,  which  seem  to  have  been  given  at  the 

181 


182  THE  RISEN  CHRIST 

very  gate  of  the  lost  paradise.  We  find  it  in  the 
prophets  and  in  the  Psalms,  where  the  sufferings 
of  the  Messiah  for  His  people  are  foretold.  We 
find  it  in  the  Gospels,  for  the  shadow  of  the  cross 
fell  back  over  all  the  life  of  Jesus.  He  spoke 
over  and  over  of  His  death,  and  said  that  He 
had  come  to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  many. 
In  The  Acts  and  the  epistles  we  find  the  same  red 
cord  running,  for  we  read  continually  of  redemp- 
tion through  the  blood  of  Christ ;  of  His  suffering, 
the  just  for  the  unjust;  of  our  being  redeemed 
by  His  precious  blood,  and  of  the  blood  that 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin.  Nothing  could  be 
clearer  than  the  declarations  of  the  Scriptures 
that  Christ  died  for  our  sins.  This  tells  us  what 
a  terrible  thing  sin  is,  to  require  such  a  costly 
expiation.  It  reminds  us,  too,  what  a  fearful 
thing  it  is  for  anyone  to  reject  the  redemption 
of  Christ,  thus  keeping  his  own  sins.  There  is 
no  other  way  of  salvation.  To  reject  this  re- 
demption is  to  perish. 

Just  as  important  as  Christ's  death  for  our 
sins  is  His  burial  and  resurrection.  Perhaps  we 
have  not  all  thought  of  this.  We  are  told  much 
about  Christ's  death  for  us.  Our  hymns  are  full 
of  the  story  of  the  cross.  We  come  to  Christ  as 
sinners  for  forgiveness.  We  do  not  think  so  much, 
however,  of  the  blessings  that  come  to  us  from 
His  broken  grave.  But  if  He  had  died  only  and 
had  not  been  raised  from  the  dead,  He  could  not 
have  been  the  Saviour  we  need.     It  is  a  great 


I  CORINTHIANS  XV :  3-28  183 

thing  for  us  that  we  have  a  Saviour  who  was 
dead  and  is  alive  again,  alive  now  for  evermore. 
One  blessing  is  that  He  knows  the  way  of  death 
just  as  He  knows  the  way  of  temptation  and  the 
way  of  sorrow,  and  can  guide  us  when  we  come  to 
pass  into  the  dark  valley.  Another  blessing  is 
that  He  has  proved  Himself  stronger  than  death. 
He  could  not  be  holden  of  it.  During  His  life 
He  met  all  the  other  enemies  of  our  souls.  He 
met  temptations  and  was  victorious.  He  encoun- 
tered diseases  and  demons  and  showed  His  power 
over  them.  He  ruled  the  forces  of  nature — 
changing  water  into  wine,  walking  on  the  sea, 
quelling  the  storm.  He  showed  Himself  master 
over  death  when  He  called  back  at  least  three 
persons  to  life.  Now  He  Himself  met  death  and 
went  down  under  his  power,  but  here  again  He 
proved  Himself  master,  vanquishing  death  and 
coming  alive  from  the  grave.  Thus  He  conquered 
every  form  of  enmity  and  antagonism,  and  stands 
at  the  close  victor  over  all  things.  Hence  He 
is  able  to  be  our  Saviour  who  knows  all  about  life, 
and  who  has  lived  victoriously  through  it  all.  He 
is  our  Friend  as  well  as  our  Saviour.  He  is  with 
us  in  all  our  life  as  Companion  and  Helper. 

The  appearances  of  Jesus  after  His  resurrec- 
tion, during  the  forty  days  that  He  remained  on 
earth,  were  in  order  to  make  it  very  clear  to 
human  witnesses  that  He  was  really  alive  again. 
Hence  He  met  His  disciples  and  friends  at  differ- 
ent times  and  left  none  of  them  in  doubt.     It 


184  THE  EISEN  CHRIST 

was  a  wonderful  moment  to  Peter  when  Jesus 
appeared  to  him.  Peter  had  denied  Christ  bit- 
terly, saying  with  oaths  and  curses  that  he  did 
not  even  know  the  Man.  A  little  later  Jesus 
looked  at  him,  and  that  look  broke  Peter's  heart. 
He  went  out  and  wept  bitterly.  That  same  day 
Jesus  died.  The  grief  of  Peter  can  be  imagined. 
He  had  done  a  great  wrong  to  his  Friend,  and 
now  he  would  never  see  Him  again  to  ask  for- 
giveness. How  glad  Peter  must  have  been  that 
morning  when  Jesus  stood  before  him  alive !  Now 
Peter  could  get  forgiveness.  Of  the  other  wit- 
nesses, Thomas  is  one  of  the  most  interesting. 
He  doubted  when  he  heard  that  Christ  was  risen. 
He  would  not  believe  it  until  he  could  see  Him 
for  himself,  and  see  and  feel  the  wounds  in  His 
hands  and  side.  Jesus  gave  him  the  proof  he 
demanded,  and  Thomas  was  convinced.  So  at  the 
end  of  the  forty  days  there  was  a  company  of  wit- 
nesses ready  to  go  out  and  tell  the  world  of  the 
death  and  resurrection  of  Christ,  and  who  believed 
what  they  told  and  were  ready  to  give  their  lives 
in  proof  of  their  faith. 

The  last  appearance  of  the  risen  Lord  was  to 
Paul  himself.  The  effect  of  this  appearing  of 
Christ  was  wonderful.  It  found  him  a  persecutor 
of  Christians — bitter,  relentless,  breathing  blood 
and  slaughter  against  them.  It  changed  Saul  to 
Paul,  the  enemy  of  Christ  into  a  friend.  The 
whole  story  is  told  in  this  eighth  verse,  showing 
how  the  resurrection  of  Christ  transformed  Paul 's 


I  CORINTHIANS  XV :  3-28  185 

life.  He  became  a  preacher  of  the  Saviour  and 
of  the  gospel  he  had  been  trying  to  destroy.  We 
learn  from  what  this  belief  did  for  Paul,  what  it 
will  do  for  all  who  will  accept  it. 

Paul  always  remembered  what  he  had  done 
before  he  became  a  Christian.  This  kept  him 
humble.  It  also  stimulated  him  to  work  for  Christ. 
A  regiment  of  soldiers  failed  once  in  a  battle, 
proving  cowardly.  The  reproach  on  their  good 
name  stung  them  to  the  heart,  and  they  waited 
eagerly  for  an  opportunity  to  bum  out  the  dis- 
grace. The  time  came  at  length,  and  in  a  battle 
they  did  heroically.  The  recollection  of  their 
old  shame  became  mighty  energy  in  them.  So  it 
was  with  Paul.  He  became  a  far  more  earnest 
apostle,  no  doubt,  than  he  would  otherwise  have 
been,  because  of  the  constant  remembrance  of 
his  past  life.  Who  has  not  done  some  things  to 
give  Christ  pain?  We  should  be  all  the  more 
loyal  and  devoted  Christians  because  of  the  re- 
membrances in  us  of  unworthy  things  done  in  the 
past. 

The  resurrection  meant  so  much  to  Paul  that 
he  was  earnest  in  telling  others  what  it  should 
mean  to  them.  The  fact  of  the  resurrection  of 
Christ  is  the  keystone  of  the  arch  of  Christian 
truth.  Take  it  out  and  the  whole  arch  falls  to 
the  ground.  If  the  body  of  Jesus  yet  sleeps  in 
the  grave  beneath  the  Syrian  stars,  we  simply 
have  no  Saviour,  and  all  the  hopes  of  Christianity 
are  empty  dreams,  with  nothing  substantial  in 


186  THE  EISEN  CHRIST 

them.  "But  now  Hatli  Christ  been  raised  from 
the  dead."  The  resurrection  is  true  beyond  all 
question.  Not  a  shadow  of  doubt  rests  upon  the 
teaching.  No  other  fact  in  all  history  is  more 
certainly  and  indubitably  established.  Hence  all 
the  promises  and  hopes  of  Christianity  are  sure. 
Not  one  of  them  can  fail.  They  all  bear  upon 
them  the  double  seal — a  cross  and  a  broken  grave. 
If  we  believe  that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again, 
our  faith  has  an  immutable  foundation,  our  sins 
are  forgiven,  and  we,  too,  shall  be  raised.  There 
is  an  Eastern  story  of  a  child  who  saw  a  silver 
spanglei  lying  in  the  sand.  Picking  it  up,  she 
found  that  it  was  attached  to  a  fine  thread  of 
gold.  As  she  drew  this  out  of  the  sand  there  were 
spangles  on  it,  and  the  filament  seemed  to  be  end- 
less. She  wound  it  about  her  head  and  about  her 
neck  and  her  arms  and  body  until  she  was  cov- 
ered from  head  to  foot  with  golden  threads  and 
silver  spangles.  So  it  is  when  we  take  up  this  one 
truth  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ.  As  we  lift 
it  we  find  that  it  is  attached  to  a  thread  of  gold, 
and  as  we  draw  up  the  golden  thread  we  find 
all  other  truths  and  blessings,  promises  and  hopes 
clinging  to  it.  To  believe  the  resurrection  of 
Christ  is  indeed  to  have  all  the  treasures  of  re- 
demption in  our  possession. 


CHAPTER  XXVin 

PAUL  ON  THE  GRACE  OP  GIVING 

Read  II  Cor.  VIII:  1-15 

Paul  wanted  to  stimulate  the  CorintMan  clmroh 
to  give  generously,  and  lie  told  them  what  other 
churches  had  been  doing.  Giving  merely  not  to 
be  behind  other  people  is  not  good  giving.  At 
the  same  time  we  should  be  desirous  of  imitating 
every  good  thing  we  see  in  others,  for  its  own 
sake,  because  it  is  beautiful  and  like  Christ. 

The  early  Christian  givers  were  poor,  but  they 
gave  liberally,  and  ''the  abundance  of  their  joy 
and  their  deep  poverty  abounded  unto  the  riches 
of  their  liberality."  They  were  in  trouble,  and 
yet  the  joy  did  not  die  out  of  their  hearts.  There 
is  a  legend  of  a  golden  organ  in  some  ancient 
monastery  which,  to  save  it  from  robbers,  the 
monks  cast  into  a  deep  river.  In  the  waters  it 
still  continued  to  send  forth  sweet  music  which 
the  floods  could  not  hush.  So  it  is  in  a  true 
Christian  life.  The  floods  do  not  drown  the  songs 
of  joy.  Another  proof  of  grace  in  this  people 
to  whom  Paul  refers  was  that  in  their  deep 
poverty  their  liberality  still  abounded.    They  were 

187 


188        PAUL  PN  GRACE  OF  GIVING 

poor,  but  tlieir  poverty  did  not  prevent  tliem  from 
giving  to  others  who  were  poorer  than  themselves. 

A  story  is  told  of  Henry  Thornton.  An  appeal 
was  made  to  him  for  missions,  and  he  made  out 
a  check  for  five  pounds.  Before  the  ink  was  dry 
a  telegram  was  handed  to  him.  He  opened  it  and 
turned  ashy  white.  He  said  to  the  visitor;  *'I 
have  just  received  bad  news.  I  have  lost  thou- 
sands of  pounds.  Give  me  back  the  check."  The 
visitor  supposed  that  now  the  check  would  be 
canceled.  But  Mr.  Thornton  altered  the  five 
pounds  to  fifty,  saying,  ' '  God  has  just  taught  me 
that  I  may  not  much  longer  possess  my  property, 
and  that  I  must  use  it  well."  In  time  of  poverty, 
if  we  must  retrench  in  our  expenses,  we  should 
not  begin  with  the  gifts  which  God  asks  of  us 
for  His  cause. 

These  givers  did  not  say,  *'I  can  spare  this 
and  not  miss  it."  They  gave  what  it  seemed 
they  could  not  spare — beyond  their  power.  Then 
they  ''gave  of  their  own  accord."  They  did  not 
have  to  be  urged  and  besought  to  give,  but  were 
eager  to  give,  and  gave  gladly,  cheerfully. 

But  "first  they  gave  their  own  selves  to  the 
Lord. ' '  That  is  where  all  true  consecration  must 
begin.  God  does  not  care  for  our  gifts  while  He 
has  not  our  hearts.  It  is  much  easier  to  give  a 
little  money,  or  to  pay  a  visit  now  and  then  to 
some  poor  person,  or  even  to  do  Christian  work 
of  other  kinds,  than  it  is  to  give  ourselves  to  the 
Lord.    But  nothing  comes  of  such  giving  or  such 


n  CORINTHIANS  VIII:  1-15  189 

work.  We  are  first  of  all  to  present  our  body 
a  living  sacrifice  to  God,  and  then  God  will  re- 
ceive the  things  we  offer  and  the  service  we  render 
in  His  name  as  part  of  our  consecration. 

After  telling  the  Corinthian  Christians  of  the 
good  example  of  others,  Paul  spoke  in  praise  of 
them.  He  told  them,  '^Ye  abound  in  everything." 
It  is  right  to  praise  people  when  they  do  well. 
Hearty,  cheerful,  sincere  commendation  is  good 
everywhere.  It  is  good  in  homes.  Parents  would 
better  always  commend  their  children  when  they 
have  done  well.  Approval  encourages  and  stimu- 
lates to  better  service  in  the  future.  It  is  good 
for  teachers,  also,  to  commend  their  pupils  who 
are  doing  what  they  can.  Our  Lord  commended 
Mary,  sajdng,  ''She  hath  done  what  she  could," 
while  His  disciples  were  condemning  her  and  find- 
ing fault.  Too  many  people  seem  afraid  ever  to 
say  a  kindly  word  to  others  about  what  they  have 
done.  When  a  person  dies,  there  is  no  lack  of 
commendation;  but  what  does  the  dead  man  care 
for  such  words?  Many  a  time  along  his  years, 
when  he  was  weary  and  overburdened,  if  the  thou- 
sandth part  of  the  kindly  things  spoken  by  his 
coffin  had  been  spoken  in  his  ear,  he  would  have 
been  cheered  and  strengthened  by  the  approval. 

Paul  wisely  used  commendation  as  an  intro- 
duction to  further  appeals.  ''Ye  abound  in  every- 
thing, ' '  he  had  said.  ' '  See  that  ye  abound  in  this 
grace  also,"  he  concluded.  So  giving  is  a  gTace. 
Paul  puts  it  down  here  in  the  same  cluster  with 


190        PAUL  ON  GRACE  OF  GIVING 

faitli,  knowledge,  earnestness,  love.  Many  of  ns 
make  our  Christian  ideal  only  a  very  small  frac- 
tion of  the  full  image  of  Christ.  We  pick  out  one 
or  two  virtues  or  graces  which  we  think  are  im- 
portant, and  magnify  these,  overlooking  and  leav- 
ing out  other  things  which  are  quite  as  essential. 
Liberality  is  one  of  the  graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
which  must  be  found  in  the  complete  ideal.  A 
miserly  Christian  is  a  misnomer.  One  who  is 
greedy,  grasping,  covetous,  is  not  the  kind  of  fol- 
lower Christ  wants.  A  Jesuit  priest  testified  that 
while  thousands  had  come  to  him  with  confes- 
sion of  all  manner  of  sins,  no  one  had  ever  come 
confessing  the  sin  of  covetousness.  Does  ''this 
grace"  of  giving  abound  in  us,  alongside  of  our 
faith,  love,  meekness,  gentleness  and  patience? 

Christ  is  the  highest  of  all  examples.  He  was 
rich,  but  He  became  poor.  We  know  the  story 
of  His  humiliation.  He  touched  the  deepest 
depths  of  pain  and  suffering.  Then,  the  object 
of  it  all  we  know,  too — ^it  was  that  we  might  be 
made  rich.  He  lifts  up  all  His  people  from  the 
depths  of  sin,  shame  and  curse,  to  the  glories  of 
heaven.  In  comparison  with  this  great  giving, 
how  small  our  little  penny  contributions  to  the 
cause  of  Christ  or  for  the  relief  of  the  poor! 

It  is  comforting  to  know  that  Christ  judges 
gifts  by  the  heart:  *'For  if  the  readiness  is 
there,  it  is  acceptable  according  as  a  man 
hath,  not  according  as  he  hath  not."  The 
widow's  mites  were   of  more  value   than  the 


II  CORINTHIANS  VIH:  1-15  191 

largest  offerings  east  tliat  day  into  the  treasury. 
They  were,  in  fact,  the  very  smallest  oiferings; 
none  gave  as  little  as  the  poor  widow.  What 
Jesus  meant  was  that  in  proportion  to  her  means 
she  had  given  more  than  anyone  else  of  all  the 
givers  that  day.  The  rich  gave  out  of  their  abun- 
dance and  had  much  left.  She  gave  little  out  of 
her  extreme  poverty,  and  had  nothing  left. 
Christ's  eye  is  always  on  the  treasury,  and  He 
rates  the  contributions,  not  by  their  money  value, 
but  by  their  largeness  in  proportion  to  the  per- 
son's ability. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE  FLESH  AND  THE   SPIEIT 

Read  Gal.  V :  16-26 

Saint  Paul  states  a  great  principle  in  spiritual 
ethics  wlien  he  says,  ''Walk  by  the  Spirit,  and 
ye  shall  not  fulfil  the  lust  of  the  flesh."  He 
prescribes  here  the  true  rule  of  spiritual  culture. 
The  way  to  cure  ourselves  of  bad  tendencies  is 
to  cultivate  the  good.  It  was  on  these  words  that 
Dr.  Chalmers  preached  his  famous  sermon,  ' '  The 
Expulsive  Power  of  a  New  Affection. ' '  The  way 
to  become  cured  of  evil  lusts  and  desires  is  to 
get  the  Spirit  of  God  into  one's  heart.  Where  the 
Spirit  is,  everything  is  made  to  conform  to  the 
Spirit's  life.  The  Spirit  is  love.  Love  is  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law,  and  love  drives  away  all  evil 
passion,  all  bitterness,  all  hatred.  Those  who 
walk  by  the  Spirit  will  not  bite  and  devour  one 
another,  but  will  help  one  another  ever  toward 
"whatsoever  things  are  true,  .  .  .  whatsoever 
things  are  lovely,  whatsoever  tilings  are  of  good 
report. ' ' 

In  another  place',  St.  Paul  contrasts  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  wine.  He  says,  "Be  not  drunken  with 
wine,  wherein  is  riot,  but  be  filled  with  the  Spirit. '  * 

192 


GALATIANS  V :  16-26  193 

Nothing  could  be  farther  apart  in  their  nature 
and  effects  than  wine  and  the  Holy  Spirit.  Wine 
is  full  of  riot.  That  is,  it  incites  to  all  unruli- 
ness,  all  bitterness,  all  destructive  tendencies.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  Spirit  is  full  of  love,  goodness, 
kindness,  gentleness,  and  incites  to  everything 
that  is  Christlike  and  upbuilding.  Saint  Paul  is 
right  when  he  says  that  these — that  is,  the  Spirit 
and  the  flesh — are  *' contrary  the  one  to  the  other." 
The  way,  therefore,  to  get  rid  of  the  fleshly  appe- 
tites and  passions  is  to  become  filled  with  the 
Spirit,  whose  influence  is  always  toward  the  things 
that  are  heavenly. 

It  is  a  terrible  picture  of  the  works  of  the 
flesh  which  St.  Paul  gives  in  the  following  verses. 
We  need  not  linger  upon  the  words  in  detail. 
They  describe  all  forms  of  impurity,  and  then 
include  enmities,  strife,  jealousies,  wraths,  fac- 
tions, envyings,  drunkenness  and  revelings.  It 
is  not  saying  too  much  to  assert  that  all  of  these 
are  in  the  line  of  the  results  of  intemperance. 
Just  such  things  as  these  intemperance  produces 
wherever  it  is  allowed  full  sway.  Drunkenness 
is  a  most  debasing  and  degrading  vice,  and  the 
others  are  of  the  same  kind.  We  should  note 
well  what  St.  Paul  says  about  these  works  of  the 
flesh:  ''Of  which  I  forewarn  you  .  .  .  that 
they  who  practise  such  things  shall  not  inherit 
the  kingdom  of  God."  The  kingdom  of  God  is 
not  heaven,  but  the  heavenly  life  in  this  world, 
[the  life  over  which  Christ  rules,  and  which  His 
13 


194      THE  FLESH  AND  THE  SPmiT 

reign  produces  in  men's  hearts  and  homes.  We 
see  at  once  that  such  works  do  not  belong  to 
this  heavenly  kingdom  on  the  earth.  We  should 
never  think  of  calling  a  man  a  Christian  who 
indulges  in  such  vices.  Then,  we  may  go  a  step 
farther  and  say  that  it  is  impossible  also  for  per- 
sons who  live  in  such  debasing  ways  to  enter 
into  heaven  itself.  For  heaven  must  first  begin 
in  our  hearts.  We  never  can  enter  the  gates  of 
pearl  unless  we  have  received  the  heavenly  life 
and  Spirit  while  we  stay  in  this  world. 

In  wonderful  contrast  with  this  most  pitiful 
cluster  of  works  of  the  flesh,  we  have  the  virtues 
and  graces  which  St.  Paul  enumerates  as  ''the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit. ' '  These  are  heavenly  qualities. 
In  our  daily  prayer  we  ask  that  we  may  do  the 
will  of  God  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven. 
These  verses  tell  us  how  the  will  of  God  is  done 
in  heaven,  how  people  live  who  have  been  re- 
deemed and  are  inside  the  gates  with  Christ.  It 
is  well  for  us  to  study  these  qualities  and  char- 
acteristics of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  this  world, 
also,  as  well  as  in  heaven  itself.  In  the  Common 
Version  we  find  the  word  ''temperance"  in  this 
shining  list.  In  the  Eevised  Version,  however, 
the  word  is  rendered  "self-control."  The  object 
of  Christian  culture  is  not  only  to  know  the  will 
of  God  concerning  our  life  and  character,  but  also 
to  achieve  self-mastery.  A  drunkard  has  not  self- 
control.  He  may  say  that  he  can  drink  or  let  it 
alone,  as  he  chooses,  but  the  fact  is  that  he  can- 


GALATIANS  V :  16-26  195 

not.  Indeed,  men  often  make  as  an  excuse  for  the 
debasing  habit  of  drunkenness  that  they  cannot 
help  it.  It  is  a  pitiful  condition  when  a  human 
being,  made  to  be  a  child  of  God,  made  to  be 
Christlike  in  life  and  character,  is  unable  to  con- 
trol his  own  passions  and  desires,  and  is  swept 
away  by  every  unholy  impulse.  But  it  is  this 
condition  to  which  indulgence  in  any  sort  of  evil 
tends.  We  soon  form  habits  for  ourselves,  and 
then  our  habits  become  our  masters.  When  one 
has  formed  the  habit  of  kindness,  it  becomes  sec- 
ond nature,  as  it  were,  to  be  kind.  If  one  has 
formed  the  habit  of  sobriety,  of  resisting  self- 
indulgence  of  any  kind,  this  quality  also  becomes 
second  nature,  as  we  say.  It  is  easy  for  us,  then, 
to  refuse  to  do  evil  and  choose  to  do  good.  He 
who  has  attained  perfect  self-control,  and  has 
the  complete  mastery  of  himself,  need  not  be 
afraid  of  temptation.  But  how  can  one  get  this 
perfect  self-mastery?  It  is  only  when  Christ  lives 
in  us,  His  Spirit  filling  our  hearts,  and  producing 
in  us  all  gentle  and  kindly  desires,  all  holy  im- 
pulses, that  we  really  have  self-mastery. 

A  story  is  told  of  Henry  Drummond  and  the 
way  he  sought  to  save  a  friend  from  the  drinking 
habit.  This  friend's  wife  had  appealed  to  Mr. 
Drummond  privately  regarding  the  habit  of  drink- 
ing into  which  her  husband  was  falling,  request- 
ing him  to  try  to  save  him.  One  day  this  friend 
and  Mr.  Drummond  were  riding  behind  two  spir- 
ited horses  which  the  friend  was  driving.   As  they 


196      THE  FLESH  AND  THE  SPIRIT 

were  about  descending  a  hill,  Mr.  Dmnunond  said 
to  him,  ''What  would  happen  if  these  horses  got 
out  of  your  control  and  started  to  run  down  the 
hill?"  The  man  said  that  they  could  not  help 
being  dashed  to  pieces.  "But,"  continued  Mr. 
Drummond  quietly,  "suppose  in  such  a  case  there 
sat  one  beside  you  who  was  able  to  control  the 
horses  and  save  you  from  the  disaster  impend- 
ing. What  would  you  do?"  The  man  was  silent 
for  a  moment,  and  then  said,  "I  should  put  the 
lines  into  his  hands."  It  was  not  hard  for  Mr. 
Drummond  to  pass  to  the  man's  own  increasing 
danger,  as  he  was  losing  the  mastery  over  himself 
in  his  indulgence  in  strong  drink.  Christ  is  ever 
by  us  and  we  may  always  put  the  lines  into  His 
hands  if  we  will 

Saint  Paul  intimates  that  the  self-controlled 
life  is  not  an  easy  one.  "They  that  are  of  Christ 
Jesus  have  crucified  the  flesh  with  the  passions 
and  the  lusts."  Crucifixion  suggests  that  only 
by  nailing  the  desires  of  the  flesh  to  the  cross  can 
they  be  put  to  death.  No  doubt  St.  Paul  was 
thinking  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  and  meant  to 
intimate  that  only  by  entering  into  Christ's  own 
death,  by  accepting  Him  as  Saviour  and  Master, 
can  anyone  have  the  evil  lusts  of  nature  put  to 
death.  We  cannot  by  any  mere  child's  play  over- 
come the  evil  tendencies  in  our  lives.  It  cost 
Christ  a  terrible  death  to  redeem  the  world.  It 
costs  any  man  a  terrible  crucifixion  of  self  to 
enter  into  complete  self -mastery  and  be  a  Christ- 
man. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE  IMITATION"  OF  CHEIST 

Read  Eph.  IV:  20-30 

The  Christian  is  to  learn  Christ.  He  is  to  go 
to  school,  where  the  pupils  are  Christ's  followers. 
The  textbook  is  Christ  Himself.  What  a  wonder- 
ful Book  it  is  we  have  to  study!  How  can  we 
study  it?  We  can  study  the  life  of  Christ  as  we 
have  it  portrayed  in  the  gospel.  We  can  see  how 
He  lived,  what  kind  of  boy  He  was,  how  He 
treated  His  mother,  how  He  treated  His  heavenly 
Father;  what  kind  of  man  He  was — His  character, 
His  disposition.  His  treatment  of  all  sorts  of 
people;  how  He  endured  personal  injustice  and 
wrong.  It  is  a  wonderful  book — just  the  story  of 
Christ's  life.  Then,  we  have  also  His  teachings, 
which  make  another  book. 

In  every  Christian  of  us  there  are  two  men. 
Several  times  Paul  speaks  of  them.  When  a 
preacher  was  preaching  before  a  king,  and  spoke 
of  the  struggle  that  goes  on  in  the  breast  between 
the  old  man  and  the  new  man,  the  king  uncon- 
sciously broke  out,  saying,  ''I  know  those  two 
men!"  We  all  know  them,  if  we  are  trying  to 
live  right.    The  problem  of  Christian  living  is  to 

197 


198        THE  IMITATION  OF  CHRIST 

have  the  new  triumph  over  the  old,  more  and  more 
completely,  till  the  old  is  in  perfect  subjection  to 
the  new.  Here  Paul  is  speaking  of  the  outer  life, 
and  urges  all  Christians  to  put  away  whatever  in 
the  old  manner  of  living  is  not  right.  When  we 
give  ourselves  to  Christ  we  ought  to  put  away 
firmly  and  forever  whatsoever  is  not  in  accordance 
with  the  commandments  of  our  new  Master. 

The  old  cannot  be  patched  up ;  there  must  be 
a  new  man.  Nor  will  a  new  outer  life  do.  The 
evil  within  will  continually  work  through  and  soil 
all  without.  A  whitewashed  outer  wall  will  never 
make  a  beautiful  home  while  the  house  within  is 
full  of  foulness.  The  only  true  cleansing  is  that 
which  begins  within  and  makes  the  heart  right. 
Hence  we  are  told  that  we  must  be  "renewed." 
Not  only  so,  but  we  must  be  renewed  in  the  spirit 
of  our  mind;  that  is,  at  the  heart  of  us.  This  is 
just  what  Jesus  said  to  Nicodemus:  "Ye  must 
be  bom  anew."  The  new  life  from  above  must 
enter  into  your  heart.  When  the  spirit  is  right, 
the  words,  the  conduct,  the  disposition,  the  whole 
character  will  soon  be  right. 

The  new  man  is  the  Christian  man.  We  see 
at  once,  however,  that  more  than  reformation  is 
required  to  make  the  new  man.  He  is  ' '  created, ' ' 
and  only  God  can  create.  We  cannot  change  our 
own  heart  so  that  we  shall  have  only  holy  feelings, 
desires,  affections.  This  is  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  We  have  a  part  in  it,  of  course.  God 
does  not  work  on  us  as  a  sculptor  works  on  the 


EPHESIANS  IV:  20-30  199 

marble,  hewing  it  into  any  shape  he  desires  with- 
out any  consciousness  or  acquiescence  or  will  in 
the  stone.  We  are  not  blocks  of  marble;  we  are 
immortal  beings,  and  as  such  all  work  on  us  is 
wrought  through  our  own  wills,  affections,  desires. 
We  are  exhorted  here  to  ''put  on  the  new  man," 
as  if  it  were  altogether  our  own  work.  We  are 
to  listen  to  God's  voice  and  seek  to  obey  Him; 
then  as  we  obey,  His  Spirit  will  work  in  us  and 
produce  the  change  which  we  could  never  of  our- 
selves produce.  We  have  here  also  the  pattern 
after  which  we  are  to  fashion  our  new  life — 
''after  God."  God  Himself  is  the  pattern  for 
every  Christian  life. 

The  new  man  will  put  away  falsehood,  and  will 
speak  truth  with  his  neighbour.  There  is  a  story 
that  a  distinguished  Englishman  complained  bit- 
terly to  Mr.  Gladstone  of  some  parish  preacher,) 
who  in  his  sermon  insisted  upon  the  application 
■of  religion  to  a  man's  everyday  life.  This  ms-\ 
tinguished  Englishman  thought  this  was  an  oiit- 
rageous  proceeding  on  the  clergyman's  part.  He 
thought  religion  should  deal  only  with  doctrinei 
and  celestial  truths.  But  the  Bible  insists  upo 
the  application  of  religion  to  all  our  words  and^ 
acts.  Lying  is  a  terribly  common  vice.  A  writer 
tells  us  that  the  Persians  are  great  liars.  Very 
likely,  but  they  are  too  far  away.  No  good  can 
possibly  come  to  us  from  our  berating  the  Per- 
sians. But  we  want  to  let  this  teaching  come  into 
our  own  life,  and  cut  close  as  it  will.    "Putting 


200        THE  IMITATION  OF  CHRIST 

away  falseliood,  speak  ye  truth  each  one  with  his 
n^eighbour. "  How  is  it  in  our  speech?  Is  it  al- 
ways true?  Do  we  never  lie?  Do  we  never  try  to 
leave  a  wrong  impression  on  another?  Do  we 
never  deceive  ?  Lying  is  very  hateful  to  G<od,  for 
He  is  absolute  truth,  and  whatsoever  is  less  than 
truth  His  soul  abhors.  People  talk  about  ''white 
lies."  Every  lie  is  black.  A  lie  is  a  rotten  stone 
built  in  the  wall  of  life ;  some  day  it  will  crumble 
and  then  the  foundation  will  sink  away.  Anything 
built  on  a  lie  is  built  on  the  sand.  We  ought  to 
train  ourselves  to  absolute  truthfulness.  People 
are  continually  discussing  the  question  whether  it 
can  ever  be  right  to  tell  a  lie,  whether  a  falsehood 
ever  can  be  admissible.  Some  people  say  it  can, 
that  it  may  be  right  to  tell  lies,  for  example,  to 
save  your  life.  What  do  you  think  about  it?  It 
is  said  by  Longfellow : 

But  if  a  word  could  save  me,  and 

that  word 
Were  not  the  truth;  nay,  if  it 

swerved 
A  hair's  breadth  from  the  truth, 
I  would  not  say  it. 

But  suppose  it  is  another  person's  life  you  could 
save  by  lying ;  would  it  be  right  then  to  lie  ?  We 
have  an  illustration  in  the  trial  in  ' '  The  Heart  of 
Mid-Lothian,"  when  a  sister  could  not  tell  a  li3 
on  the  witness  stand,  though  a  lie  in  one  short 
word  would  have  saved  her  sister's  life.    She  said 


EPHESIANS  IV:  20-30  201 

she  could  not  do  it.  She  would  give  her  life's 
blood  to  s.ave  her  sister,  but  she  could  not  tell  a 
lie  even  to  save  her. 

The  new  man  will  wish  to  be  angry  and  sin 
not.  But  how  can  one  be  angry  and  not  sin?  Is 
not  all  anger  sinful?  No,  God  is  angry  with  the 
wicked.  We  read,  too,  that  Jesus  was  sometimes 
angry.  There  is,  therefore,  a  sinless  anger, — 
anger  against  sin.  For  example,  if  you  see  a 
great,  strong,  brutal  man  beating  a  weak,  help- 
less woman,  there  must  rise  up  in  your  soul  a 
burning  indignation  against  the  act.  That  is  sin- 
less. But  if  as  a  result  you  lose  your  temper  and 
fly  into  a  passion  and  speak  unadvisedly,  you  have 
sinned.  The  counsel  here  is  that  our  righteous 
indignation  against  meanness,  injustice,  cruelty, 
or  wrong  of  any  kind,  shall  not  be  permitted  to 
pass  into  personal  bitterness,  resentment,  or  im- 
govemed  temper.  Here  it  was  that  Moses  failed. 
He  could  not  but  feel  a  righteous  indignation  at 
the  people's  unbelief  and  rebellion,  but  he  sinned 
when  he  made  it  personal  and  lost  his  patience 
and  spoke  the  angry  words.  The  second  counsel 
in  this  verse  is  very  interesting.  We  are  almost 
sure,  sometime  in  the  pressure  of  life's  contacts, 
to  grow  angry.  If  we  do,  we  are  exhorted  to  get 
the  bitterness  out  of  our  heart  before  the  sun 
goes  down.  Several  reasons  for  this  may  be  sug- 
gested. Anger  allowed  to  smoulder  overnight 
may  break  out  in  uncontrollable  passion  in  the 
morning. 


202        THE  IMITATION  OF  CHRIST 

Then,  ^at  the  close  of  every  day,  we  ought  to 
be  ready  to  die,  as  we  may  never  see  another 
morning.  We  ought  not  to  sleep,  therefore,  be- 
fore getting  out  of  our  heart  everything  that  is 
not  right.  This  word  was  interpreted  literally 
in  the  ancient  times,  and  the  Christians  who 
had  had  any  differences  would  hasten  before  the 
setting  of  the  sun  to  confess  and  settle  their  quar- 
rels. The  using  of  the  Lord 's  Prayer  in  the  even- 
ing would  seem  to  compel  forgiveness,  as  we  must 
pray,  "Forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our 
debtors.^' 

The  new  man  will  not  steal.  There  are  a  great 
many  ways  of  stealing  besides  rifling  a  cash 
drawer  or  picking  a  pocket.  There  have  been  a 
great  many  defalcations  and  embezzlements  in 
recent  days,  but  all  of  these  were  but  the  riper 
fruit  of  dishonesty  in  little  ways,  running  on  prob- 
ably through  years.  He  who  steals  a  pin,  steals — 
is  a  thief.  The  boy  who  picks  up  a  marble  that 
is  not  his,  or  a  penny,  or  takes  an  apple  from  a 
tree,  or  purloins  anything,  has  stolen.  He  who 
takes  off  an  envelope  a  stamp  used,  but  not  can- 
celed, and  uses  it  again,  is  a  thief.  He  who  keeps 
the  one  cent  too  much  the  grocer  gives  in  mistake 
in  making  change,  is  a  thief.  He  who,  when  the 
conductor  does  not  take  up  his  fare  or  ticket,  goes 
out  of  the  car  and  says  nothing,  has  stolen.  There 
is  no  other  word  for  it.  We  must  study  the  matter 
out  for  ourselves. 

The  new  man  will  let  no  corrupt  speech  pro- 


EPHESIANS  W:  20-30  203 

ceed  out  of  his  mouth,  but  only  that  which  is  good. 
There  is  very  much  corrupt  speech  falling  every 
day  from  human  lips.  It  is  a  good  rule  for  boys 
and  men  never  to  tell  a  story  or  to  say  anything 
in  a  company  of  their  own  which  they  would  not 
tell  or  say  if  their  mothers  and  sisters  were  pres- 
ent. That  was  General  Grant's  rule,  and  he  would 
not  permit  any  officer  or  companion  to  repeat  any 
story  in  his  presence  which  the  person  would  not 
say  if  there  were  ladies  present.  The  kind  of 
words  a  Christian  m'ay  speak  is  well  defined  here. 
They  must  be  good  words,  that  is,  pure,  kindly, 
loving,  worthy ;  and  they  must  be  words  that  will 
edify  those  who  hear — words  that  will  benefit  or 
help  others,  giving  comfort,  encouragement,  in- 
citement, instruction.  Only  think  what  havoc  this 
rule  would  play  with  much  of  the  talk  that  goes 
on  everywhere  among  Christians!  What  edify- 
ing words  did  you  speak  last  evening  to  your 
friend  in  that  two-hours'  talk  you  had  with  him? 
This  is  a  large  lesson. 

The  new  man  will  not  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit 
of  God.  It  scarcely  seems  possible  to  us  at  first 
that  we  could  give  pain  to  God.  Yet  the  apostles 
warned  the  Ephesians  against  this  very  thing. 
Boys  know  what  kind  of  things  in  their  life  gTieve 
their  mothers.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  nearer  to  all 
of  us  than  any  mother  can  be,  and  has  a  more 
tender  heart.  Let  us  watch  our  words,  our  acts, 
our  wishes  and  feelings,  and  all  the  motives  of 
our  life,  lest  we  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit. 


204        THE  IMITATION  OF  CHRIST 

Finally,  the  new  man  in  Christ  Jesus  will  be 
kind,  tender-hearted  and  forgiving.  If  all  these 
rules  and  exhortations  about  kindness  and  gentle- 
ness were  followed  out  in  our  lives,  how  the 
world's  happiness  would  be  increased!  How  lov- 
ing would  our  homes  be!  How  delightful  would 
Christian  fellowship  of  all  kinds  be !  The  reason 
urged  for  forgiving  each  other  is  that  God  has 
forgiven  us.  Not  only  the  reason,  but  also  the 
measure  of  our  forgiveness  is  indicated  in  this 
way;  we  are  to  forgive  even  as  God  forgives  us. 
Our  Lord  taught  this  lesson  in  the  prayer  which 
He  gave  to  His  disciples.  EvcTy  time  we  ask  Him 
to  forgive  us  we  say,  ''As  we  forgive."  But  sup- 
pose we  keep  bitterness  in  our  heart  against  some 
one ;  what  is  it  we  ask  God  to  do,  and  how  do  we 
ask  Him  to  forgive?  There  certainly  is  a  wonder- 
ful field  for  quiet  thought  in  these  few  verses 
which  we  have  been  studying. 


;CHAPTER  XXXI 

A  CALL  TO  CHEISTLIKE  LIVING 

Read  Eph.  V:  11-21 

This  chapter  is  a  call  to  Christlike  living.  **Be 
ye  therefore  imitators  of  God,  as  beloved  chil- 
dren" is  its  keynote.  This  means  that  sin  is  to 
be  avoided.  There  are  vices  that  are  not  even 
to  be  named  by  those  who  belong  to  Christ;  they 
are  so  vile,  so  loathsome.  It  is  a  black  list,  indeed, 
that  is  given  in  the  fifth  verse — persons  who  have 
no  inheritance  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ  and  of 
God.  Perhaps  we  do  not  draw  rigidly  enough  the 
line  that  divides  between  the  things  of  God  and 
the  things  of  the  evil  one. 

Our  passage  starts  with  an  exhortation  which 
calls  for  uncompromising  separation  from  all  un- 
holy things.  ''Have  no  fellowship  with  the  un- 
fruitful works  of  darkness."  We  know  what 
works  of  darkness  are.  All  sin  is  of  darkness. 
It  shuns  the  light.  It  hides  away  out  of  sight. 
It  lurks  in  the  shadows.  Everything  that  is  con- 
trary to  God's  commandments  is  a  work  of  dark- 
ness. A  Christian  is  to  live  a  pure  and  holy  life. 
But  more  than  this — he  is  not  even  to  have  fellow- 
ship with  the  works  of  darkness  j  he  is  not  to  have 

205 


206      A  CALL  TO  CHRISTLIKE  LIVING 

anything  to  do  with  them.  He  lives  in  a  different 
world,  a  world  whose  atmosphere  is  the  love  and 
the  holiness  of  Christ. 

The  reason  for  this  counsel  is  frankly  given. 
''The  things  which  are  done  by  them  in  secret 
it  is  a  shame  even  to  speak  of.''  It  would  stain 
our  lips  even  to  tell  of  these  vile  things.  A  dis- 
ciple of  Christ  should  never  allow  himself  to  men- 
tion impure  things  or  to  think  of  them.  He  should 
never  permit  his  ears  to  hear  unclean  stories. 
Books  and  newspapers  which  describe  vile  resorts 
and  the  deeds  that  are  done  in  them  are  not  fit 
to  be  put  into  the  hands  of  those  who  are  follow- 
ing Christ.  They  leave  a  trail  of  foulness  wher- 
ever they  go.  A  godly  man  in  his  old  age  said 
that  when  he  was  very  young  another  boy  drew 
him  aside  one  day  into  a  secret  place  and,  open- 
ing a  book,  showed  him  a  vile  picture.  He  glanced 
at  it  only  for  a  moment,  but  it  left  a  blotch  on 
his  memory,  like  a  stain  on  a  white  garment.  All 
the  fifty  years  he  had  lived  since  that  hour  he 
had  not  been  able  to  forget  that  moment's  unholy 
glance.  We  cannot  keep  ourselves  too  carefully 
from  all  fellowship  with  the  unfruitful  works  of 
darkness. 

The  call  to  awake  implies  that  the  state  of  sin 
is  a  state  of  moral  death.  **  Awake,  thou  that 
sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead."  People  living 
without  Christ  resent  the  suggestion  that  they  are 
dead.  They  claim  to  be  very  much  alive,  indeed. 
Many  of  them  are  fuU  of  ambition  and  are  in  the 


EPHESIANS  V:  11-21  207 

very  forefront  of  the  world's  leaders.  They  are 
active  in  business.  They  are  high  in  the  ranks  of 
society.  They  wear  badges  of  honour  won  in  life 's 
arena.  They  think  the  meek  and  lowly  people  are 
the  dead  people — those  who  do  not  seem  to  care 
for  earth's  prizes.  But  as  God  looks  down  upon 
men,  those  are  dead  who  know  not  Him,  who  are 
unconscious  of  the  spiritual  realities  about  them, 
who  live  only  for  this  world.  Especially  are  those 
dead  who  are  living  in  sin  and  for  pleasure — 
dead  while  they  live.  The  voice  of  God  calls  over 
all  such  as  Christ  called  at  the  door  of  the  grave 
of  Lazarus,  bidding  them  awake  from  the  dead. 

The  next  exhortation  is  a  call  to  walk  with 
eyes  wide  open.  ''Look  therefore  carefully  how 
ye  walk,  not  as  unwise,  but  as  wise."  The  way 
is  full  of  danger.  He  is  very  foolish  indeed  who 
goes  carelessly  through  this  world.  Yet  there  are 
many  who  seem  never  to  have  a  serious  thought 
about  life.  They  never  pay  any  heed  to  the  temp- 
tations that  beset  them.  They  have  no  sense  of 
responsibility.  They  walk  as  if  blind  into  all 
manner  of  temptations. 

Another  lesson  is  the  value  of  opportunity. 
** Redeeming  the  time,  because  the  days  are  evil.'* 
Everyone's  path  is  filled  with  blessings  from 
heaven,  but  we  must  watch  for  them  and  take 
them  as  they  come,  or  we  shall  miss  them  alto- 
gether. Youth  is  a  time  of  special  opportunities. 
If  it  be  wasted,  it  never  can  be  redeemed  after- 
wards. 


208     A  CALL  TO  CHRISTLIKE  LIVING 

Tlierei  is  a  strong  lesson  here  against  drunken- 
ness. ' '  Be  not  drunken  with  wine,  wherein  is  riot, 
but  be  filled  with  the  Spirit."  A  glass  of  wine 
may  seem  very  harmless  as  it  sparkles  on  the 
table,  but  what  "riot"  is  in  it!  This  picture  of 
the  evil,  the  shame,  the  strife,  the  trouble,  the 
harm,  the  wine  cup  contains  needs  no  filling  out. 
A  wise  oriental  shiek  mentioned  to  a  young  Arab 
prince,  from  whom  he  was  about  to  part,  a  list 
of  crimes  and  bade  him  choose  the  one  which 
seemed  least  harmful.  The  young  prince  turned 
in  horror  from  murder,  theft,  loss  of  virtue,  and 
told  the  patriarch  that  he  would  choose  intem- 
perance. ''You  have  chosen  that,"  said  the  wise 
old  man,  ''which  will  bring  you  all  the  rest." 

There  is  always  danger  in  wine.  There  still 
are  some  Christian  people  who  claim  the  privi- 
lege of  using  it  on  their  tables  and  on  other  occa- 
sions. But  they  do  not  know  what  they  are  doing, 
how  unwisely  they  are  acting,  what  possibilities 
of  harm  there  are  in  what  seems  to  them  such  a 
pleasant  and  innocent  habit.  Our  nature  craves 
stimulation,  and  this,  men  tell  us,  they  find,  when 
they  are  jaded  and  weary,  in  the  wine  cup.  But 
St.  Paul  says  that  there  is  a  better  way, — instead 
of  being  drunk  with  wine,  be  filled  with  the  Spirit, 
he  says.  There  is  riot  in  wine,  but  in  the  Spirit 
are  all  pure,  holy  'and  heavenly  aspirations.  If 
we  would  let  the  divine  Spirit  into  our  heart  we 
should  have  such  satisfying,  such  filling  of  the  life, 
as  would  give  us  deep  and  blessed  joy,  the  joy  in 
>^hich  there  is  no  bitterness. 


CHAPTEE  XXXn 

THE  CHRISTIAN  ARMOUR 

ReadEpJi,  VI:  10-20 

A  GREAT  many  times  in  the  Bible  we  are  urged  to 
be  strong.  It  is  not  mere  strength  of  body  that  is 
meant.  Of  course,  we  should  develop  our  body, 
and  so  obey  the  laws  of  nature  as  to  keep  well  and 
be  physically  as  strong  as  possible.  But  Goliath 
was  not  God's  ideal  of  manly  strength — he  was 
nothing  but  a  big  body,  with  neither  intellectual 
nor  spiritual  development.  The  strength  the 
Bible  makes  so  much  of  is  strength  of  character — 
firmness  of  purpose,  staunchness  of  principle, 
moral  strength.  The  secret  of  it  is  faith  in  Christ. 
If  we  are  in  Him,  then  all  His  strength  is  as- 
sured to  us  to  fill  our  weakness.  In  one  place 
Paul  said  he  was  strongest  when  he  was  weakest — 
that  is,  he  had  most  room  then  for  Christ,  and 
the  most  of  Christ's  strength  rested  upon  him. 
Henry  of  Navarre,  riding  in  front  of  his  troops 
before  a  battle,  said,  "You  are  Frenchmen;  yon- 
der is  the  enemy;  I  am  your  king."  Then,  point- 
ing to  the  white  plume  in  his  helmet,  he  said, 
''My  children,  if  your  standard  falls,  rally  round 
the  white  plume ;  it  will  lead  you  to  victory."  We 
14  209 


210  THE  CHRISTIAN  ARMOUR 

may  always  be  sure  of  victory  if  we  keep  close 
to  Christ,  rallying  round  His  cross. 

The  way  to  be  strong  is  to  "put  on  the  whole 
armour  of  God."  It  is  the  armour  of  God  because 
He  provides  it.  Our  Captain  does  not  send  His 
soldiers  out  without  furnishing  them  all  the  equip- 
ment they  need.  But  the  soldier  must  put  on  the 
armour.  Armour  hanging  on  the  wall  would  not 
protect  a  man  as  he  went  into  battle;  he  must 
take  it  down  and  put  it  on.  There  is  armour  pro- 
vided for  every  Christian  soldier.  The  Bible  is 
a  great  armoury,  and  there  are  in  it  all  manner 
of  weapons  of  offense  and  defense.  But  it  is  not 
enough  to  have  these  pieces  of  armour  provided 
in  the  Bible.  We  must  put  them  on.  The  breast- 
plate, the  shield  and  the  helmet  will  be  no  pro- 
tection unless  we  wear  them.  We  must  put  on 
the  armour  ourselves — even  Christ  will  not  do  it 
for  us.  Every  soldier  must  look  to  his  own 
preparation  for  warfare. 

God^s  armour  is  essential  because  "our  wres- 
tling is  not  against  flesh  and  blood,  but  against  the 
principalities."  Perhaps  the  air  is  as  full  of 
spirits  as  the  streets  are  of  people.  It  is  well  to 
understand  we  have  enemies  we  cannot  see.  There 
are  bad  men.  Sometimes  we  see  on  the  street  a 
face  which  is  full  of  evil,  every  look  revealing 
wickedness  and  vileness.  There  are  invisible  be- 
ings all  about  us  which,  if  we  could  see,  would 
terrify  us  with  their  loathsomeness.  They  are  de- 
mons of  Satan's  armj.    If  it  were  not  that  Christ 


EPHESIANS  VI :  10-20  311 

had  overeome  Satan  and  all  his  hosts  this  w^ould  be 
a  fearful  world  to  live  in.  But  they  are  not  all 
evil  spirits,  demons,  that  crowd  the  air — good 
angels  are  there,  too,  guarding  Christ's  little  ones, 
and  they  are  stronger  than  demons.  Nevertheless, 
we  must  not  underrate  our  enemies. 

The  first  item  in  the  armour  of  God  which  we 
must  wear  is  the  girdle  of  truth  for  our  loins. 
Having  first  this  on,  we  are  to  stand  in  the  face 
of  the  enemy,  ready  for  the  battle.  It  is  not  easy 
to  stand  in  the  presence  of  danger.  That  we  may 
be  able  to  stand,  we  should  gird  up  our  loins. 
Again,  notice  that  we  must  gird  our  own  loins — 
no  one  can  do  it  for  us.  Truth  is  the  girdle,  and 
no  one  can  get  truth  for  us.  We  must  read  our 
Bible  for  ourselves  if  we  would  have  its  truths 
enter  our  heart  and  become  wrought  into  our 
character.  Truth  means  reality,  sincerity,  hon- 
esty— no  one  can  be  sincere,  real,  or  true,  for  us. 
It  is  a  great  thing  to  be  true  through  and  through, 
with  truth  in  the  inward  parts,  in  the  character, 
in  the  soul. 

Then,  we  must  put  on  ''the  breastplate  of 
righteousness.'*  The  breastplate  covered  the 
heart.  It  was  made  of  the  strongest  material, 
so  that  no  weapon  could  pierce  it.  The  Chris- 
tian's breastplate  is  righteousness.  For  one 
thing,  this  means  Christ's  righteousness,  which 
makes  us  safe  in  the  shadow  of  His  cross.  To 
belong  to  Christ  is  to  be  in  holiest  protection. 
When  an  American  citizen  was  about  to  be  shot 


212  THE  CHRISTIAN  AEMOUR 

in  a  SpanisH  country,  his  friends  threw  over  him 
the  American  flag.  This  saved  his  life.  So 
Christ's  righteousness  protects  Christ's  own. 
Another  meaning  is  that  righteousness  wrought 
into  our  character,  in  right  principles  and  con- 
duct, is  a  breastplate  of  protection  for  the  Chris- 
tian. 

The  Christian  must  put  on  his  feet  the  ' '  prep- 
laration  of  the  gospel  of  peace."  The  soldier 
needs  strong  shoes  for  rough  roads;  the  Chris- 
tian needs  good  shoes,  too,  for  much  of  the  way- 
is  hard  and  steep.  There  is  an  old  Bible  word 
about  shoes  of  iron,  which  God  promises  to  give 
to  His  pilgrims  when  they  have  to  walk  over  sharp 
roads.  There  is  a  beautiful  legend  of  Jesus  which 
says  that  one  day,  when  He  was  walking  beside 
the  sea,  being  weary.  He  took  off  His  sandals  to 
bathe  His  feet  in  the  pure,  cool  water.  Then  He 
murmured  to  Himself:  ''Three  years,  three 
years,  and  then,  poor  feet,  the  cruel  nails  will 
come  and  make  you  bleed!  But  that  blood  will 
lave  all  weary  feet  in  their  painful  ways." 
Christ's  feet  bled  and  were  hurt  on  the  hard 
roads  and  with  the  nails,  that  we  might  have 
shoes  to  wear  in  life's  rough  paths. 

But  all  this  preparation  will  be  useless  un- 
less we  take  up  "the  shield  of  faith,  wherewith 
.  .  .  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the 
evil  one."  The  ancient  shield  was  large  enough 
to  cover  all  the  person,  and  it  was  made  so  that 
darts  striking  it  would  not  go  through  it.    Faith 


EPHESIANS  VI :  10-20  213 

is  the  Christian's  shield.  The  evil  one  is  always 
ti^'ing  to  wound  us  with  his  darts.  These  are 
ofttimes  poisoned,  or  they  are  fiery — life's  temp- 
tations are  terrible.  But  if  we  are  truly  in  Christ, 
none  of  these  darts  can  touch  us — they  will  be 
quenched  in  the  shield  we  carry. 

Then  comes  the  ' '  helmet  of  salvation. "  * '  Sal- 
vation will  he  appoint  for  walls  and  bulwarks," 
said  the  old  prophet.  When  one  is  safe  in  Christ, 
one  is  sheltered.  No  evil  can  touch  us  if  we  are 
near  Christ.  "Your  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in 
God." 

Now  for  the  defensive  armour.  ' '  Take  .  .  . 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of 
God."  All  other  parts  of  the  armour  are  for 
defense.  There  is  something  for  every  portion 
of  the  body  but  the  back.  This  'suggests 
that  the  Christian  soldier  should  never  turn 
his  back  to  the  enemy,  for  his  back  is  un- 
protected. The  only  weapon  for  active,  ag- 
gressive fighting  is  the  sword.  It  is  called  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit,  because  the  Spirit  gives  it 
its  sharpness  and  power  to  thrust  into  men's 
hearts.  Jesus  Himself  gave  us  an  object  lesson 
for  the  use  of  the  sword  when  He  met  the  tempter. 
He  pierced  him  with  texts  of  Scripture.  "We 
should  learn  to  use  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  in  the 
same  way.  A  word  of  God  will  drive  away  the 
enemies. 

Last,  prayer  is  named,  not  because  it  is  least 
important,  but  because  it  is  so  important.    We 


214  THE  CHRISTIAN  ARMOUR 

are  in  danger  of  forgetting  tliat  prayer  is  a  mighty 
force  in  the  world.  We  live  in  a  working  age. 
We  believe  in  all  manner  of  earnest  activities, 
in  full  consecration  of  our  gifts  and  services  to 
God.  This  is  well,  but,  after  all,  there  is  no  such 
power  as  the  power  of  prayer.  Jesus  made  a 
great  deal  of  it  in  His  own  life  and  in  His  teach- 
ing. In  The  Acts  we  find  prayer  everywhere,  and 
in  the  epistles  it  is  continually  commanded.  Saint 
Paul  many  times  pleads  with  his  friends  to  pray 
for  him,  and  he  exhorts  that  intercessions  shall 
be  made  for  all  men.  Here  he  asks  for  prayers 
for  all  the  saints,  and  then  for  himself,  not  that 
he  might  be  set  free  from  his  chains,  but  that 
he  might  have  greater  power  in  witnessing  for 
Christ. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

CHEIST  's  HUMILITY  AND  EXALTATION 

Read  Phil.  II:  1-11 

The  people  at  Philippi  had  Paul's  happiness  in 
their  keeping.  They  could  give  pain  to  his  heart 
or  they  could  give  him  gladness.  "We  all  carry 
in  our  hands,  in  greater  or  less  measure,  the 
happiness  of  others.  Children  have  power  either 
to  make  their  parents  unhappy  or  to  make  them 
glad.  A  class  has  their  teacher's  happiness  in 
their  keeping — if  they  receive  the  lessons  and  live 
them  out,  they  give  the  teacher  deep  joy.  A  few 
people  gave  Jesus  comfort  and  gladness  by  their 
love  and  kindness.  We  never  can  know  what  the 
Bethany  family  did  for  His  pleasure.  But  the 
people  in  general  broke  His  heart.  The  scene  of 
Jesus  weeping  over  the  city  illustrates  this.  We 
should  always  try  to  give  joy  to  our  friends,  above 
lall  to  Christ. 

Christians  should  live  together  in  love.  There 
can  be  no  sadder  sight  than  a  quarreling  church. 
With  what  pity  the  angels  and  Jesus  must  look 
down  upon  the  unseemly  spectacle!  One  of  the 
last  prayers  of  Jesus  for  His  disciples  was  that 
they  might  be  one.    One  of  His  last  command- 

215 


216       HUMILITY  AND  EXALTATION 

ments  to  them  was  that  they  should  love  one  an- 
other as  He  had  loved  them — that  is,  patiently, 
helpfully,  thoughtfully,  unselfishly,  faithfully, 
unto  the  uttermost.  Wherever  Christians  are  as- 
sociated together  they  should  be  of  the  same  mind, 
of  the  same  love,  being  of  one  accord. 

The  secret  of  being  of  the  same  mind,  being 
of  one  accord,  is  stated  plainly:  Do  "nothing 
through  faction  or  through  vainglory,  but  in  low- 
liness of  mind  each  counting  other  better  than 
himself."  This  happy  result  can  be  reached 
only  by  mutual  yielding  and  giving  up.  It  never 
can  be  attained  by  each  one  determining  always 
to  have  his  own  way.  No  two  can  be  intimately 
associated  and  live  in  love  without  cost  to  both. 
The  secret  of  wedded  happiness  is  in  each  count- 
ing the  other  better  than  himself.  Sometimes 
there  is  a  unity  made  in  marriage  by  one  being 
'^head'^  and  the  other  surrendering  all  rights,  but 
that  is  not  an  accord  of  love;  it  is  a.  unity  pro- 
duced by  force — ^master  and  slave.  The  '*one 
mind"  comes  through  the  desire  of  each  to  serve 
the  other.  So  it  is  in  all  friendships.  Friend- 
ship is  always  discipline.  Two  friends  learn  to 
live  together  in  love,  only  by  each  thinking  of  the 
other  and  forgetting  self. 

There  are  other  people,  and  they  live  all  about 
us.  We  are  to  think  of  their  interests.  We  can- 
not step  in  any  direction  without  coming  in  con- 
tact with  some  of  them.  Now  we  must  think  of 
these  others  and  shape  our  life  in  reference  to 


PHILIPPIANS  II : :  1-11  217 

their  interests  as  well  as  our  own.  We  dare  not 
go  on  treading  as  we  like,  picking  up  every  beauti- 
ful thing  we  see,  plucking  every  flower  we  find 
blooming  anywhere.  Other  people  have  rights, 
and  we  must  regard  them.  Besides,  there  is  a 
law  of  love  which  bids  us  think  of  others  before 
ourselves — ''in  honour  preferring  one  another.'* 
We  should  have  an  interest  in  the  prosperity,  the 
success,  and  the  happiness  of  all  about  us. 

This  is  not  easy.  The  only  way  to  fulfill  its 
precepts  is  to  have  in  us  the  mind  of  Christ. 
Christ's  wonderful  condescension  is  the  true  type 
of  every  Christian  life.  Each  in  his  own  sphere 
should  live  over  again  the  marvelous  story  of 
condescension  and  humiliation.  We  are  not 
merely  to  copy  Christ  in  His  acts,  but  we  are 
to  seek  to  have  the  mind  and  the  spirit  that  was 
in  Him.  All  true  life  must  begin  within.  A  new 
heart  is  the  starting  point.  There  is  little  use 
in  a  bad  man  changing  his  habits  or  manners  while 
his  spirit  remains  bad.  He  is  the  same  man  still. 
The  only  true  change  is  that  which  begins  in  the 
heart.  ' '  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  0  God ;  and 
renew  a  right  spirit  within  me,"  is  the  prayer 
for  those  who  wish  to  be  Christians.  If  we  have 
the  mind  that  was  in  Christ  we  shall  have  no 
trouble  in  getting  the  Christlike  life.  But  how 
can  we  get  the  mind  that  was  in  Christ?  Paul 
tells  us  everywhere  in  the  words  ''Christ  liveth 
in  me."  We  may  have  the  very  mind  of  Christ 
in  us,  His  Spirit  being  the  spirit  that  animates 


218       HUMILITY  AND  EXALTATION 

us.  We  have  but  to  open  our  heart  to  Him,  to 
be  willing  to  be  made  like  Him,  to  yield  our  being 
to  Him.  If  Christ  really  rules  in  us,  we  have  His 
mind  swaying,  influencing,  directing  and  control- 
ling us. 

The  whole  story  of  the  condescension  of  Christ 
is  in  the  words:  ''Who,  existing  in  the  form  of 
God  .  .  .  emptied  himself,  taking  the  form  of 
a  servant."  He  was  ''in  the  form  of  God."  He 
was  God  Himself.  This  was  the  starting  point.  It 
is  this  that  made  the  condescension  so  wonder- 
ful. It  is  no  humiliation  for  a  man  to  be  born. 
There  is  no  special  condescension  even  in  the 
fact  that  Jesus  was  born  in  a  stable  and  in  pov- 
erty, and  lived  in  a  quiet  village,  working  as  a 
carpenter,  and  then  went  about  the  country  teach- 
ing and  doing  good  deeds,  being  misunderstood, 
and  at  last  nailed  to  a  cross.  Other  good  men 
have  been  bom  in  poverty,  have  worked  as  me- 
chanics, have  been  persecuted,  and  have  died  as 
martyrs.  If  Jesus  is  only  a  man,  there  is  no  great 
condescension  in  all  this.  But  when  we  look  up 
and  see  Him  in  His  divine  glory,  the  eternal  Son 
of  God,  and  then  think  of  what  He  did,  we  see  the 
condescension. 

Queen  Victoria,  in  her  summer  rambles  in 
Scotland  many  years  since,  went  into  the  homes 
of  the  poorest  people  and  sat  down  and  talked 
with  them.  In  one  place  she  found  a  poor,  crip- 
pled, old  woman,  and  gave  her  money.  She  read 
a  chapter  of  the  Bible  to  ai  sick  man,  and  then 


PHILIPPIANS  n : :  1-11  219 

prayed  by  liis  bedside.  If  some  female  mission- 
ary had  done  these  things,  no  one  would  have 
talked  about  condescension,  but  when  the  good 
queen  did  them  all  the  world  was  touched.  So, 
while  we  read  the  gospel  story  we  must  remem- 
ber who  it  was  that  was  bom  in  a  stable,  cradled 
in  .a  manger,  did  deeds  of  mercy  in  the  land,  and 
died  on  the  cross.  Then  we  shall  understand  the 
mind  that  was  in  Christ  Jesus. 

When  we  recall,  further,  the  object  of  this 
condescension,  why  He  who  was  in  the  form  of 
God  took  on  Him  ''the  form  of  a  servant"  among 
men — that  it  was  to  lift  up  the  fallen  sons  of 
men  and  make  them  sons  of  God,  then  we  get 
another  thought  of  what  it  is  to  have  this  mind 
in  us.  It  IS  to  have  love  for  others,  love  for  the 
unlovely,  a  love  strong  enough  to  lead  us  to  make 
the  greatest  sacrifices  in  order  to  do  them  good, 
to  save  them.  If  we  would  love  as  Christ  loved, 
we  must  be  ready  to  make  the  condescension  and 
sacrifice  He  made. 

Christ  ''humbled  himself,  becoming  obedient 
even  unto  death."  We  should  think  of  Jesus  al- 
ways as  God's  ideal  man.  How  different  His  life 
from  that  of  most  men !  They  have  their  worldly 
ambitions.  They  want  to  make  a  name,  to  get 
rich,  or  to  climb  to  power.  Jesus  was  here  to 
serve,  to  be  a  blessing  to  the  world,  to  do  good, 
to  live  out  a  life  of  love.  He  so  devoted  Him- 
self to  this  great  purpose  that  He  literally  gave 
His  life,  going  to  a  cross  in  love  for  the  world. 


220       HUMILITY  AND  EXALTATION 

This  is  the  true  ideal  of  human  life.  We  are 
to  hold  all  that  we  have  and  all  that  we  are  at 
the  service  of  Christ  for  our  fellow  men. 

But  Christ  was  exalted  after  His  humiliation. 
The  exaltation  was  because  of  the  humiliation. 
Service  always  has  its  reward.  Those  who  empty 
out  their  life  here  will  find  it  again.  No  doubt 
the  disciples  of  Jesus  thought  He  had  made  a 
fearful  mistake  in  giving  up  His  life  as  He  did. 
We  can  easily  imagine  them,  during  the  days  that 
the  Master  lay  in  the  grave,  saying  one  to  an- 
other: ''This  is  terrible — such  a  life  to  end  on 
a  cross !  He  was  so  young,  too !  If  only  He  had 
been  more  prudent,  and  had  thought  of  Himself  a 
little  more,  He  would  not  have  met  this  fearful 
death.  What  a  waste  of  precious  life!  What  a 
blessing  He  would  have  been  to  the  world  if  only 
He  had  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age!'^  But  we  know 
that  no  mistake  was  made,  that  His  life  was  not 
wasted. 

In  one  of  the  old  prophets  we  read  of  the  Mes- 
siah, "He  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and 
shall  be  satisfied. ' '  In  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews 
we  are  told  that  for  the  joy  set  before  Him  He 
endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame.  Jesus 
knew  that  He  was  not  wasting  His  life,  but  that 
glory  would  come  out  of  His  sacrifice,  not  only 
for  Himself,  but  for  His  people.  He  humbled 
Himself  to  be  a  servant  and  to  die  on  a  cross, 
but  He  went  from  the  cross  to  the  throne  of  the 
universe. 


PHILIPPIANS  II : :  1-11  221 

The  law  of  life  is  the  same  in  its  application 
to  Christ 's  followers.  Those  who  give  themselves 
up  to  service  and  sacrifice  in  doing  the  Master's 
work  are  preparing  for  themselves  high  places  in 
glory.  There  is  a  legend  of  one  who,  when  given 
money  by  a  king  for  the  building  of  a  great  palace, 
finding  the  people  in  sore  need,  spent  the  money 
in  buying  food  for  them.  When  the  king  came 
and  found  no  palace  he  was  very  angry,  and,  send- 
ing for  the  builder,  demanded  an  explanation.  He 
then  cast  the  builder  into  prison,  saying,  "To- 
morrow thou  shalt  die,  for  thou  hast  been  unfaith- 
ful." But  that  night  the  king,  in  a  dream,  saw 
a  wonderful  palace,  surpassing  all  of  earth's  most 
splendid  buildings.  "What  building  is  that?"  he 
asked.  "The  Temple  of  Merciful  Deeds,  built  for 
thee  by  the  Great  Architect. ' '  Then  the  king  un- 
derstood that  the  spending  of  his  money  in  service 
of  love  had  erected  for  him  inside  the  heavenly 
gates  a  palace  of  immortal  beauty.  Although  only 
a  legend,  its  teaching  is  true.  In  a  life  of  sacrifice 
and  service  in  this  world,  in  Christ's  name,  we 
are  laying  up  treasures  in  heaven  which  some  day 
we  shall  have. 


CHAPTEE  XXXIV 

THE  NEW  LIFE  IN  CHKIST 

Bead  Col.  111:1-15 

Paul  said  to  tlie  Colossians  what  to  many  must 
have  seemed  surprising:  *'If  then  ye  were  raised 
together  with  Christ."  How  could  these  Colos- 
sian  Christians  have  been  raised  with  Christ? 
Of  course,  it  was  a  spiritual  rising.  The  people 
really  had  been  in  graves,  and  Jesus  had  called 
them  up,  and  they  were  now  living  a  new  spir- 
itual life.  Everyone  who  truly  believes  on  Christ 
receives  the  Holy  Spirit,  comes  out  of  his  grave, 
and  walks  with  Christ  among  the  living. 

Those  who  have  risen  with  Christ  should 
''seek  the  things  that  are  above,  where  Christ 
is."  What  things!  We  are  taught  to  pray  that 
the  Father's  will  may  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is 
in  heaven.  That  is  bringing  heaven  down  to 
earth.  The  things  which  are  above  are  holiness, 
goodness,  truth,  peace,  love.  The  lessons  the 
Bible  teaches  us  are  all  of  things  above,  the  truths 
and  principles  of  God's  kingdom.  These  are  the 
things  which  are  unseen  and  yet  are  eternal.  We 
are  to  seek  to  live  here  as  we  would  live  if  we 
were  really  in  heaven. 

222 


COLOSSIANS  111:1-15  223 

More,  tlaey  must  set  their  mind  on  tlie  things 
that  are  above.  Where  the  mind  is  tliither  the 
life  is  tending.  Where  the  thoughts  go  the  soul 
is  climbing.  If  we  think  continually  of  low,  un- 
worthy things,  our  whole  being  will  gravitate 
downward.  But  if  we  train  our  thoughts  to  fly 
away  like  eagles  into  the  deep  blue  sky,  our  life 
will  be  lifted  upward.  To  ''hitch  one's  wagon  to 
a  star,"  using  Emerson's  phrase,  may  mean  many 
beautiful  things.  It  means,  at  least,  to  attach 
oneself  to  something  heavenly,  that  one 's  life  may 
be  borne  irresistibly  upward. 

We  should  form  the  habit  of  setting  our 
thoughts  on  things  above.  It  is  said  that  many 
years  ago,  when  a  great  suspension  bridge  was 
to  be  built  over  a  wide  river,  a  kite  was  sent  over, 
carrying  a  fine  wire  across  the  chasm.  It  was  not 
hard  then  to  get  a  second  and  a  third  wire  over 
also,  and  by  and  by  the  tiny  thread  of  steel  had 
become  a  great  bridge  of  twisted  strands,  on 
which  thousands  of  feet  crossed  over.  So  we  may 
train  our  thoughts  to  fly  across  the  abyss  to 
heaven — first  one  thought,  then  another  and  an- 
other, until  we  have  built  a  bridge  for  ourselves 
from  earth  to  heaven.  But  we  must  begin  and 
train  our  thoughts  thus  to  fly,  for  nothing  but 
such  a  habit  will  bring  to  us  the  blessing. 

The  Christian  life  is  secret,  and  no  one  can 
see  its  workings:  it  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God. 
You  pray  and  grace  comes  into  your  heart.  But 
no  one  sees  it  coming.    You  lean  on  God  in  your 


224  THE  NEW  LIFE  IN  CHRIST 

trust,  and  your  strength  is  renewed,  but  tlie  proc- 
ess no  one  can  perceive.  Christ  is  the  Friend 
whom  having  not  seen  we  love,  in  whom,  though 
now  we  see  Him  not,  yet  believing,  we  rejoice  with 
joy  unspeakable. 

The  Christian's  life  is  hidden  also  because  its 
real  beauty  is  not  visible  to  the  world's  eyes.  The 
artist  keeps  his  picture  veiled  while  he  works  upon 
it.  At  last  he  removes  the  veil,  and  men  see  the 
loveliness  which  his  hands  have  been  fashioning 
in  secret.  So  God  works  in  our  life,  in  joy  and 
sorrow,  in  His  providence,  and  by  His  Word  and 
Spirit.  The  beauty  He  is  producing  human  eyes 
see  not.  ''What  I  do  thou  knowest  not  now," 
He  says,  "but  thou  shalt  understand  hereafter." 
By  and  by,  when  the  work  is  finished,  men  and 
angels  shall  see  the  marvelous  beauty  of  Christ 
glowing  in  even  the  lowliest,  plainest  life. 

A  life  hidden  with  Christ  calls  for  the  utter 
destruction  of  certain  evils.  It  is  a  shameful  list 
which  St.  Paul  names.  It  makes  us  ashamed  to 
think  that  such  qualities  may  belong  to  us  or  may 
nest  in  our  heart.  Who  would  have  thought  that 
all  these  vile  things  are  in  anyone  who  wears  the 
human  form!  Yet,  where  is  the  new  life  in  which 
are  not  found  many  of  these  ugly  things!  Our 
hearts  are  naturally  cages  of  unclean  birds.  What 
does  St.  Paul  tell  us  we  should  do  with  these  un- 
holy things?  He  says  we  are  to  mortify  them — 
that  is,  make  them  dead.  When  we  find  in  our- 
selves any  evil  thing,  yite  should  see  that  it  is  put 


.COLOSSIANS  in:l-15  225 

to  death.  It  is  not  right  for  it  to  live.  Christ 
came  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil,  and  Tin- 
compromising  war  should  be  waged  against  all 
evil.  He  who  cherishes  any  uncleanness  in  him- 
self is  nursing  a  viper  which  will  sting  him  to 
death  by  and  by. 

This  part  of  the  chapter  is  not  for  the  good 
people  who  are  now  studying  it — is  it?  Look  at 
the  words  honestly.  ' '  Anger. ' '  Do  you  never  get 
angry?  Does  you  temper  never  get  the  mastery 
of  you?  Do  you  never  fume  with  rage,  even  if 
you  do  not  let  people  know  of  it?  "Malice."  Do 
you  never  cherish  a  grudge,  never  keep  bitter- 
ness against  -another  in  your  heart?  "Eailing." 
Do  you  never  spit  out  spiteful  things  about  an- 
other who  is  absent?  Do  you  never  rail  at  any- 
one ?  ' '  Shameful  speaking. '  *  That  means  speak- 
ing of  which  we  ought  not  to  be  ashamed  of,  which 
we  would  be  ashamed  of  before  our  mother  or 
some  pure-minded  friend.  Do  you  never  utter  a 
word  you  would  be  ashamed  to  have  Christ 
hear?  "Lie  not."  One  may  lie  by  a  look,  or  a 
wink,  or  by  keeping  silence.  Robert  E.  Speer 
tells  of  asking  a  Sunday  school  once  what  differ- 
ent kinds  of  sin  there  are.  One  little  boy  an- 
swered, "Good  sins  and  bad  sins,  sir."  Then 
he  asked  what  kind  of  sins  bad  sins  are.  Promptly 
the  boy  answered,  "Lies." 

These  are  a  few  of  the  things  which  we  are 
to  put  away  if  we  have  risen  with  Christ.  It  is 
not  enough  to  put  away  the  evil  things  of  the  old 
16 


236  THE  NEW  LIFE  IN  CHRIST 

life.  The  house  cannot  be  left  empty.  If  it  is, 
the  former  bad  tenants  will  soon  be  back  again, 
bringing  with  them  still  more  wicked  companions, 
and  the  last  state  will  be  worse  than  the  first. 
* '  To  replace  is  to  conquer. ' '  The  only  sure  saving 
of  our  life  comes  through  expelling  sin  from  it 
and  then  getting  Christ  into  it. 

These  are  beautiful  qualities  which  we  are 
exhorted  to  put  on.  They  all  are  fragments  of 
the  image  of  God.  They  each  belong  in  the  life 
and  character  of  Jesus  Christ.  We  must  notice 
how  large  a  place  love  holds  among  them.  In- 
deed, all  of  these  qualities  are  phases  of  love. 
The  compassionate  heart  comes  first — for  the 
heart  makes  the  life.  A  kindly  heart  fills  the 
life  with  gentle  things.  Kindness  has  been  called 
the  small  coin  of  love.  It  is  always  scattering 
benedictions.  "Lowliness"  is  often  oairicatured, 
for  there  are  many  who  try  to  be  humble.  But 
it  cannot  be  put  on  consciously  or  by  any  effort. 
It  must  be  in  the  heart  and  must  work  out  in  the 
life.  *' Meekness"  is  patience  under  insult. 
**Longsuffering"  is  enduring  without  Complain- 
ing, keeping  sweet  whatever  the  circumstances 
may  be.  ''Forbearing  one  another"  is  the  power 
of  getting  along  with  people  who  are  not  easy  to 
live  with,  getting  along  without  being  irritated, 
fretted  and  made  ugly  in  spirit  by  their  unreason- 
ableness. Then  comes  love,  which  is  over  all, 
above  all,  in  all.  It  is  this  which  m'akes  the  char- 
acter oomplete.  If  we  truly  get  love  into  our  life, 
all  the  rest  will  follow. 


COLOSSIANS  111:1-15  227 

As  the  true  result  of  this  transformation,  the 
peace  of  Christ  will  rule  in  the  heart.  Peace  is 
quietness  in  the  midst  of  confusion.  It  is  gentle- 
ness in  the  midst  of  hate.  It  is  patience  in  the 
midst  of  suffering  and  trial.  It  is  self-mastery — 
rather  it  is  Christ-mastery.  We  have  but  to  think 
what  Christ's  peace  was,  and  then  to  remember 
that  it  is  this.  His  own  peace,  which  He  promises 
to  give  to  us.  If  this  blessed  peace  rule  in  our 
hearts,  feelings,  affections  and  desires,  we  shall 
want  nothing  more. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

Paul's  counsel  to  the  thessalonians 

ReadI  Thess.  V:  14-28 

The  Bible  touches  life  at  every  point.  While 
its  great  principles  cover  all  moral  acts  in  a  gen- 
eral way,  it  descends  to  particulars  in  many  cases, 
giving  special  instructions  of  great  value.  The 
passage  noted  above  contains  golden  counsels  for 
the  conunon  days  and  for  the  common  experiences 
of  life. 

There  is  a  duty  of  warning  others.  We  may 
not  always  speak  words  of  commendation  and 
approval.  When  persons  are  living  in  a  disor- 
derly way,  that  is,  not  living  in  harmony  with 
the  divine  laws,  they  are  to  be  admonished.  We 
must  make  sure,  however,  that  we  do  this  in  the 
spirit  of  Christ,  in  love,  in  order  to  help  and 
save  those  we  admonish.  No  duty  requires  more 
wisdom  and  more  grace  than  that  of  telling  others 
of  their  faults. 

Then,  we  should  always  be  encouragers,  for 
there  are  many  timid,  faint-hearted  people  who 
continually  need  to  be  lifted  up  and  helped  on- 
ward. We  should  never  be  discouragers.  There 
are  those,  too,  who  are  weak  and  need  the  strength 

228 


I  THESSALONIANS  V:  14-28  229 

and  support  which  we  can  give  them.  The  strong 
should  help  the  weak.  We  should  bear  each 
other's  burdens.  We  are  also  to  be  long-suffer- 
ing to  all,  no  matter  how  they  may  treat  us.  This 
is  one  of  the  great  lessons  which  Jesus  taught  in 
His  own  life — to  bear  sweetly  and  patiently  with 
those  who  are  unkind  and  injurious.  It  is  not 
easy,  but  we  are  not  Christians  if  we  are  not  try- 
ing to  live  after  this  law  of  love. 

The  teaching  of  Christ  also  requires  us  to 
render  always  good  for  evil,  never  evil  for  evil. 
This  is  a  very  practical  counsel,  and  it  is  never 
easy  to  follow  it.  Yet  it  is  an  inseparable  part 
of  all  Christian  life.  If  one  contends  for  the 
heroic  in  Christian  character,  nothing  could  be 
more  heroic  than  this.  To  return  love  for  hate, 
kindness  for  injury,  is  far  braver  than  to  be  angry 
and  resentful,  demanding  satisfaction.  We  should 
always  follow  that  which  is  good;  that  is,  we 
should  think  ever  of  the  good  of  others  and  in 
all  things  make  this  our  aim  for  them.  Anything 
that  would  injure  or  harm  another  is  absolutely 
unchristian. 

Joy  is  never  to  be  left  out  of  any  scheme  of 
Christian  life.  We  are  to  rejoice,  not  now  and 
then  only,  but  always.  Even  our  sorrows  should 
not  hush  the  songs  in  our  hearts.  This  element 
of  joy  can  be  only  in  the  life  in  which  Christ  lives 
and  rules.  There  is  a  difference  in  people  in  the 
matter  of  joyousness,  but  true  Christian  joy  is 
not  that  which  the  world  gives,  nor  that  which 


230      COUNSEL  TO  THESSALONIANS 

nature  inspires,  but  the  joy  wliich  conies  from  the 
heart  of  God  and  which  nothing  ever  can  over- 
come or  destroy. 

Prayer  is  another  essential  element  in  every 
true  Christian  life.  Not  to  pray  is  not  to  live 
at  all  as  a  Christian,  for  prayer  is  ''the  Chris- 
tian's vital  breath."  The  exhortation  to  pray 
without  ceasing  may  seem  a  strange  one.  It 
means,  however,  that  our  communion  with  God 
never  need  be  broken,  never  should  be  broken. 
We  cannot  always  be  on  our  knees;  for  we  have 
work  to  do,  duties  to  perform,  which  we  may  not 
neglect,  and  which  are  just  as  sacred  as  praying. 
But  we  may  pray  at  our  work,  by  keeping  always 
close  to  Christ,  so  that  anywhere,  any  moment,  we 
can  look  up  into  His  face  and  speak  to  Him  and 
get  an  answer. 

Thanksgiving  should  never  be  wanting  in  a 
Christian  life.  It  is  not  enough  to  observe  one 
day  in  the  year  for  thanksgiving,  although  it  is 
a  very  beautiful  thing  to  do.  Nor  is  it  enough 
to  put  a  sentence  of  thanksgiving  into  our  daily 
prayers,  although  this  also  is  proper.  It  is  the 
grateful  spirit  that  pleases  God,  the  spirit  that 
is  always  full  of  praise.  There  should  be  a  note 
of  thanksgiving  running  through  all  our  life.  Too 
many  of  us  go  to  God  only  with  requests,  with  our 
burdens,  our  worries,  our  troubles ;  while  we  but 
rarely  go  to  Him  with  any  word  of  thanks.  We 
are  not  to  be  thankful  only  for  our  prosperities 
and  for  the  pleasant  and  agreeable  things  that 


I  THESSALONIANS  V:  14-28  231 

come  into  our  days, — we  are  to  be  thankful,  too, 
for  the  things  that  appear  to  us  as  adversities. 
**In  everything  give  thanks."  That  means  in  the 
sad  days  as  well  as  in  the  glad  days,  when  clouds 
are  in  the  sky,  as  well  as  when  the  sunshine  is 
pouring  everywhere.  It  is  specially  said  here  that 
this  is  the  will  of  God  for  us.  This  is  the  way 
God  wants  us  to  live — always  giving  thanks.  A 
rabbinical  teaching  says  that  the  highest  angel 
in  heaven  is  the  angel  of  praise.  The  Christliest 
note  is  one  that  is  always  keyed  to  the  note  of 
praise  and  thanksgiving. 

It  is  the  glory  of  our  Christian  life  that  God 
lives  in  it.  Saint  Paul  said, ' '  Christ  liveth  in  me. ' ' 
A  fire  burns  in  our  hearts  which  is  fed  from 
heaven.  We  live  at  our  best  only  when  we  let 
this  flame  burn  brightly  in  us.  We  are  exhorted 
here  not  to  quench  the  Spirit.  Fire  is  quenched  by 
pouring  water  upon  it,  or  by  covering  it  up  so 
as  to  exclude  the  air.  The  Spirit  may  be  quenched 
in  us  by  sin,  by  worldliness,  by  evil  thoughts,  by 
bad  passions,  by  resistance.  To  quench  this 
heavenly  flame  is  to  put  out  the  light  of  life, 
leaving  the  darkness  of  death  within  us.  * '  Quench 
not  the  Spirit. '  ^ 

We  are  also  exhorted  not  to  despise  prophe- 
syings.  Prophesyings,  in  a  general  way,  are  di- 
vine teachings,  the  message  of  God  to  us.  The 
Bible  is  a  book  of  prophesyings.  All  heavenly 
instructions,  counsels,  warnings,  from  whatever 
source,  may  in  a  sense  be  called  prophesyings. 


239      COUNSEL  TO  THESSALONIANS 

We  should  keep  our  minds  and  hearts  always 
wide  open  to  receive  the  words  of  God  and  to 
welcome  all  divine  influences  and  impressions  and 
inspirations,  whether  they  are  spoken  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  or  by  a  human  friend.  ''Speak, 
Jehovah;  for  thy  servant  heareth,"  is  the  true 
attitude  of  every  believing  heart  toward  the  truth, 
however  it  is  spoken. 

Not  all  voices,  however,  that  speak  in  this 
world  are  divine  voices.  Not  all  words  that  fall 
upon  our  ears  are  words  from  heaven.  We  should 
prove  all  things  to  see  whether  they  are  of  God 
or  not.  Then  we  should  hold  fast  only  ''that 
which  is  good."  A  traditional  saying  of  Jesus, 
not  contained  in  the  gospel,  is,  ' '  Show  yourselves 
approved  money  changers."  That  is,  judge  care- 
fully between  genuine  and  counterfeit  coins.  Put 
to  the  test  of  truth  all  counsels  that  are  given 
to  you.  Not  all  such  counsels  are  from  God.  It 
is  said  by  our  Master,  of  the  sheep,  that  "a 
stranger  will  they  not  follow,  but  will  flee  from 
him:  for  they  know  not  the  voice  of  strangers." 
We  should  make  sure  that  the  voice  which  we 
hear  is  our  Master's  own  voice,  is  the  voice  of 
one  who  counsels  us  wisely,  and  not  the  voice 
of  a  stranger  speaking  to  us  in  unheavenly  words 
to  draw  us  away  from  the  truth. 

We  are  accustomed  to  think  of  some  things  as 
only  slightly  evil,  while  others  are  very  black 
in  their  sinfulness.    Some  persons  appear  to  think 


I  THESSALONIANS  V :  14-28  233 

that  if  we  keep  ourselves  from  the  worst  kind 
of  wrongdoing  we  need  not  be  so  watchful  against 
the  minor  forms  of  evil.  They  will  not  lie,  nor 
steal,  nor  swear,  nor  do  other  things  which  would 
brand  them  in  the  eyes  of  the  community  as 
wicked.  But  meanwhile  they  are  ungentle,  un- 
kind, selfish,  bad  tempered,  loving  the  world, 
neglecting  God's  work  in  attending  to  their  own 
affairs.  But  St.  Paul's  exhortation  is,  '' Abstain 
from  every  form  of  evil."  We  are  not  to  pick 
out  certain  things  and  condemn  these  alone  as 
evil,  abstaining  from  them,  meanwhile  indulging 
in  pet  vices  and  sinful  habits  of  our  own.  What- 
ever is  wrong  in  even  the  slightest  way  is  to  be 
abstained  from.  There  really  are  no  little  sins, 
no  white  lies,  no  slight  deviations  from  right  and 
purity.  Even  evil  thoughts,  our  Master  says, 
break  the  commandments. 

The  prayer  for  consecration  in  the  twenty- 
third  verse  is  very  comprehensive.  It  is  that  we 
may  be  sanctified,  that  is,  set  apart  wholly  for 
God  and  God's  use.  We  belong  to  God,  for  He 
has  bought  us  with  a  price,  and  we  should  make 
ourselves  altogether  God's  by  keeping  ourselves 
separate  from  sin  and  from  the  world.  It  is  a 
prayer  that  our  whole  being,  body,  soul  and 
spirit,  shall  be  kept  pure  and  holy,  amid  all  the 
world's  evil;  preserved  entire,  without  blame, 
until  the  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

It  may  seem  impossible  for  anyone  to  realize 


234      COUNSEL  TO  THESSALONIANS 

this  high  ideal  of  living.  It  is  impossible  for  us 
thus  to  keep  ourselves.  But  the  words  which  fol- 
low tell  us  how  it  becomes  possible.  ' '  Faithful  is 
he  that  calleth  you,  who  will  also  do  it, ' '  We  are 
safe  in  this  world,  therefore,  when  God  keeps  us, 
when  His  sheltering,  protecting  love  enfolds  us. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

Paul's  chabge  to  timothy 

Read  II  Tim.  111:14  to  IV:  5 

This  letter  to  Timotliy,  tlie  last  product  of  Paul's 
pen,  was  written  from  the  prison  at  Rome.  In 
his  desire  to  encourage  the  young  evangelist,  he 
gave  him  much  counsel — counsel  which  is  as  valu- 
able for  the  Christian  to-day  as  it  was  for  Tim- 
othy. 

Paul  urged  Timothy,  *' Abide  thou  in  the 
things  which  thou  hast  learned."  That  is  what 
we  should  always  do  with  the  good  things  we  have 
leamed — abide  in  them,  keep  them  in  our  hearts, 
then  live  them  out.  A  great  many  people  know 
a  great  deal  more  truth  than  they  put  into  prac- 
tice. The  true  test  of  knowing  is  doing.  We 
really  know  only  what  we  get  into  our  experience 
and  conduct.  A  young  man  said  to  his  pastor 
at  the  close  of  a  year  that  he  had  gone  through 
the  Bible  five  times  that  year.  His  pastor  asked 
him  quietly,  ''How  often  has  the  Bible  gone 
through  you  this  year?" 

Paul  reminded  Timothy  of  his  home  training : 
''From  a  babe  thou  hast  known  the  sacred  writ- 
ings."    It  is  a  great  privilege  to  grow  up  in 

235 


236      PAUL'S  CHAEGE  TO  TIMOTHY 

the  atmosphere  of  Bible  teaching,  to  have  for  one 's 
teacher  a  godly  mother,  who  whispers  into  her 
child's  ear  the  things  of  God's  love,  the  counsels 
of  heavenly  wisdom.  Such  lessons  affect  the  life 
down  to  its  close.  Those  who  have  had  such 
mothers  should  never  cease  to  be  thankful  for 
them. 

The  reason  for  valuing  the  Scriptures  is  that 
they  are  able  to  make  the  reader  wise  unto  salva- 
tion. There  are  different  kinds  ,  of  wisdom.  A 
man  may  know  a  great  deal  of  science,  literature, 
philosophy,  and  be  very  wise  in  this  world's 
matters,  and  yet  not  have  found  salvation.  It 
is  very  clear  that  that  is  not  the  true  wisdom 
which  fails  to  show  men  the  way  of  eternal  life. 
The  true  wisdom  is  found  in  the  Word  of  God, 
which  reveals  to  us  our  need,  and  then  tells  us 
of  God  and  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  the  way  to  be 
saved.  This  Book  may  not  answer  questions  about 
geology,  astronomy,  cosmogony  and  history,  but 
it  does  answer  all  questions  about  duty,  about 
God,  about  the  way  of  life.  Some  one  tells  of 
hearing  a  sermon  in  which  he  said  the  distin- 
guished clergyman  told  him  a  great  deal  about 
the  way  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho,  but  did  not 
tell  him  anything  about  the  way  from  earth  to 
heaven. 

Paul  has  no  uncertain  word  about  the  inspira- 
tion of  the  Scriptures:  ''Every  scripture  in- 
spired of  God  is  also  profitable."  The  Bible 
is  the  Word  of  God.    Holy  men  wrote  it  as  they 


II  TIMOTHY  ni:  14  TO  IV:  5  237 

were  moved  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  There  are 
other  good  books  in  the  world,  but  none  like 
the  Word  of  God.  We  ought  to  read  the  Bible 
reverently,  since  God  speaks  to  us  in  its  pages. 
We  ought  to  believe  it,  for  His  Word  must  be 
(absolutely  true.  We  should  obey  it,  since  what 
God  commands  must  be  right.  We  may  yield  our 
whole  life  to  its  influence,  to  bei  guided  and 
fashioned  by  it.  It  is  profitable  for  teaching ;  that 
is,  for  instruction  in  all  matters  that  concern  life. 
It  is  profitable  for  reproof.  It  shows  us  our  sins, 
our  follies,  our  mistakes.  It  is  profitable  for  cor- 
rection— to  bring  us  back  from  wrong  ways  to 
right  ways.  It  is  profitable  for  instruction.  It 
leads  us  into  all  true  and  beautiful  living. 

The  purpose  of  the  Bible  is  to  make  complete 
men  of  us.  If  we  follow  it  in  everything  it  will 
show  us  the  right  way,  it  will  reveal  to  us  a 
perfect  ideal  of  character,  it  will  inspire  us  to 
make  the  best  of  life. 

Living  according  to  God's  Word,  we  must  ever 
be  conscious  that  we  are  living  in  God's  sight. 
Life  is  very  serious.  We  often  say  it  will  be  a 
solemn  thing  to  stand  before  God  in  judgment. 
Our  common  days  are  judgment  days.  We  should 
learn  to  do  everything  ias  in  the  sight  of  God. 
This  makes  every  act  and  word  solemn.  W© 
should  never  leave  God  out  of  our  life,  nor  do 
anything  otherwise  than  we  would  do  it  if  we 
saw  the  divine  eye  looking  down  upon  us. 

The  word  Timothy  had  received  he  was  to 


238      PAUL'S  CHARGE  TO  TIMOTHY 

give  to  others.  *' Preach  the  word,"  Paul  said 
to  him.  He  was  not  preaching  with  the  burning 
ardour  which  should  characterize  a  minister  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Paul  sought  to  stir  him  up  to  do 
better  work.  Many  of  us  need  this  lesson.  We 
are  living,  some  of  us,  only  half-heartedly,  prob- 
ably the  saintliest  of  us  below  our  best.  From 
this  Eoman  prison  comes  the  call  to  every  young 
Christian  to  rouse  his  best  energies  in  behalf  of 
Christ. 

That  a  minister's  work  may  not  be  all  soft 
words,  Paul  indicated  when  he  told  Timothy  that 
he  must  be  ready  to  ''reprove,  rebuke,  exhort, 
with  all  longsuffering. ' '  The  minister  is  to  watch 
his  flock  with  a  shepherd's  care.  If  he  sees  any 
of  them  going  astray,  he  is  not  to  be  indifferent, 
but  must  seek  to  save  them.  We  need  great  wis- 
dom, however,  when  we  speak  to  others  of  their 
faults  or  mistakes,  lest  by  our  want  of  tact  we 
only  drive  them  further  away.  Words  of  re- 
proof should  always  be  spoken  in  tender  love 
and  unwearying  patience. 

One  reason  for  the  faithfulness  in  preaching 
is  that  there  are  people  who,  having  ''itching 
ears,  will  heap  to  themselves  teachers  after  their 
own  lusts."  We  often  hear  about  the  serious 
responsibilty  of  the  preacher,  but  we  should  think 
also  of  the  responsibility  of  the  hearer.  Of  course, 
the  teacher  should  teach  well.  There  is  no  ex- 
cuse for  being  prosy  or  dull  in  presenting  the 
glorious  truths  of  Christianity.    Paul  urges  Tim- 


n  TIMOTHY  III:  14  TO  IV: 5  239 

othy  to  do  his  part  earnestly  for  the  very  reason 
that  the  people  would  be  apt  to  turn  away  to 
fables  instead  of  listening  to  the  gospel.  He  must 
preach  the  old  gospel  in  such  a  way  that  the 
people  will  be  compelled  to  listen. 


CHAPTER  XXXVn 

SOBEE  LIVING 

Read  Titus  II 

Here  we  have  special  words  of  exhortation  ad- 
dressed to  five  different  classes  of  persons — old 
men,  aged  women,  young  women,  young  men  and 
servants.  Titus  was  exhorted  to  think  carefully 
what  he  should  speak  as  a  minister,  so  that  his 
words  should  be  fitting.  It  is  serious  work  to 
teach  others.  Saint  Paul  exhorts  another  young 
preacher  to  handle  aright  the  word  of  truth. 
Wrong  direction  has  sent  many  a  life  to  destruc- 
tion. Those  who  speak  for  God  must  know  well 
the  words  of  God. 

There  is  a  word  here  for  old  men.  The 
preacher  was  to  exhort  them  to  be  temperate, 
grave,  sober-minded,  sound  in  faith,  in  love,  in 
patience.  Temperance  is  commended  in  every 
part  of  the  Bible.  Drunkenness  is  unworthy  any 
being  wearing  God's  image.  The  old  men  ought 
to  set  the  example  to  the  younger.  But  tem- 
perance in  the  Bible  includes  all  the  life,  the  appe- 
tites, the  feelings,  pleasures,  and  it  means  self- 
control. 

Old  men  are  also  to  be  grave,  preserving  dig- 

240 


TITUS  II  241 

nity  and  propriety  in  all  their  conduct.  They 
should  be  sober-minded,  serious,  thoughtful,  re- 
alizing the  meaning  of  life.  We  often  hear  about 
being  sound  in  the  faith.  This  is  well.  But  St. 
Paul  exhorts  these  older  men  to  be  sound  in  love 
and  patience  as  well  as  in  faith. 

The  second  word  is  to  aged  women.  They  are 
exhorted  to  be  reverent  in  demeanour  and  be- 
haviour. It  is  not  fitting  to  see  an  old  woman 
foolish  and  frivolous  in  her  conduct.  She  should 
watch  her  acts  and  words  and  bearing,  for  younger 
women  look  to  the  older  for  example.  Aged 
women  should  not  be  slanderers,  says  St.  Paul. 
Perhaps  it  was  then  as  it  is  now,  that  there  was 
too  much  gossip  in  certain  companies  of  women. 
Gossip  borders  perilously  close  all  the  time  to 
slander.  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  start  or  to  re- 
peat a  bad  story  about  another  person.  Chris- 
tian women  should  never  do  it.  Aged  women  are 
urged  also  not  to  become  slaves  to  wine.  They 
are  exhorted  to  be  teachers  of  that  which  is  good. 
Very  beautiful  is  a  saintly  old  woman  who  has 
learned  her  lessons  well  and  is  living  sweetly.  She 
has  a  wide  and  helpful  influence  wherever  she 
goes. 

The  young  women  have  their  word,  too.  Their 
mothers  and  older  women  are  to  be  their  teachers, 
training  them  to  be  sober.  Over  and  over  again 
this  word  sober  is  repeated  in  this  passage.  It 
has  a  much  wider  meaning  than  the  sobriety  which 
comes  from  abstinence  from  strong  drink,  though 
16 


242  SOBER  LIVING 

this  is  properly  included,  too.  Life  is  not  merely 
a  bit  of  fun  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave.  We 
are  in  the  world  to  do  something  of  God's  work. 
We  are  moving  toward  the  bar  of  God,  where  we 
must  give  account  of  every  act,  and  toward  eter- 
nity, where  we  shall  forever  eat  the  fruits  of  the 
trees  we  plant  now  and  here.  We  should  live 
soberly,  taking  hold  of  life  with  earnestness,  striv- 
ing with  all  our  might  to  do  God's  will. 

Young  women  are  also  to  love  their  husbands. 
Certainly — if  not,  they  should  never  have  married 
them.  They  should  love  their  children,  too,  and 
be  sober-minded,  watchful  of  their  conduct.  They 
should  be  workers  at  home.  This  is  a  very  sug- 
gestive bit  of  teaching.  Home  is  the  young  wife's 
realm,  and  she  is  to  do  her  sweetest  and  best  work 
there.  It  is  not  enough  for  her  to  be  active  and 
earnest  in  societies  outside;  if  she  neglects  her 
own  home  duties  she  has  disappointed  God.  She 
should  be  a  good  housekeeper  and  a  good  home- 
maker,  kind,  loving,  thoughtful,  earnest,  and  filled 
with  the  Christly  spirit. 

The  apostle  has  earnest  words  also  for  young 
men.  They,  too,  are  to  be  sober-minded.  They 
should  put  away  childish  frivolities,  and  not  trifle. 
Paul  was  writing  here  to  a  young  man,  and  he 
exhorts  him  to  be  a  pattern  to  other  young  men. 
There  are  several  things  in  which  this  young  min- 
ister was  to  be  an  example.  One  was  in  good 
works.  We  are  to  be  interpreters  of  Christ,  and 
His  life  was  full  of  good  works.    He  was  also 


TITUS  n  243 

to  be  grave — not  long-faced,  solemn-visaged,  but 
remembering  always  that  he  was  living  in  God's 
presence  and  must  give  account  for  all  his  life. 
He  was  also  to  watch  his  speech.  This  is  im- 
portant. Some  young  men  are  careless  in  their 
talk.  Thej^  speak  rashly,  foolishly,  sometimes 
saying  false  words,  sometimes  staining  their  own 
lips  and  the  souls  of  those  who  hear  them  with 
indecent  stories  or  allusions.  This  young  man 
was  to  live  so  that  those  who  disbelieved  Chris- 
tianity should  be  ashamed  when  they  saw  how 
beautifully,  how  unselfishly,  how  purely,  and  help- 
fully he  lived.  This  is  a  noble  ideal  for  life — 
that  the  enemies  of  Christ  shall  be  compelled  into 
silence,  ''having  no  evil  thing  to  say  of  us." 

There  is  a  word  also  for  servants.  There  were 
slaves  in  those  days — ^many  Christians  were  in 
bonds  among  the  Eomans.  Saint  Paul  tells  the 
young  minister  what  to  say  to  them.  They  are 
quietly  to  accept  their  bondage,  not  rebelling 
against  their  masters,  but  cheerfully  obeying 
them.  Christ  always  counsels  His  followers  to 
submission,  even  when  they  are  unjustly  treated. 
The  starling  in  a  cage  flies  against  the  wires  and 
tries  to  get  out.  All  it  does,  however,  is  to  batter 
and  bruise  its  own  wings  and  breast.  It  does  not 
get  out.  The  canary,  far  more  wisely,  when  put 
into  a  cage,  flies  up  on  a  perch  and  sings,  filling 
its  cage  with  song.  We  may  take  a  lesson  from 
the  birds. 

Servants  were  also  exhorted  to  do  what  would 


244  SOBER  LIVING 

please  their  master,  obeying,  not  complaining,  not 
talking  back  to  argue  the  case — 

"Theirs  not  to  reason  why." 

Servants  are  not  to  purloin,  but  are  always  to 
be  faithful  and  honest.  In  other  epistles  St.  Paul 
encourages  servants  to  do  their  best  always,  re- 
gardless of  the  character  of  their  master,  because 
it  is  Christ  they  are  really  serving;  they  should 
do  their  work  as  for  Him,  even  if  their  human 
master  is  hard,  unjust,  unreasonable.  Christian 
slaves  also  were  to  adorn  the  doctrine  of  God  in 
all  things.  That  is,  they  were  to  live  so  beauti- 
fully that  by  their  conduct  they  should  put  honour 
on  the  names  they  represented. 

While  these  counsels  were  primarily  for  slaves, 
they  are  applicable  to  all  who  are  under  others 
as  servants  or  employees.  The  great  majority  of 
us  have  to  work  under  a  master  or  superintendent. 
Not  always  is  this  master  gentle,  patient,  or 
lenient;  sometimes  he  is  unjust,  harsh,  severe, 
exacting  and  oppressive.  But  the  character  of 
the  master  does  not  modify  the  duty  of  the  serv- 
ant. We  must  keep  sweet  and  must  be  faithful 
and  gentle  with  the  worst  overseer.  Other  peo- 
ple's sin  does  not  excuse  sin  in  us. 

In  the  twelfth  verse  there  is  a  great  teaching 
for  all  of  us  who  bear  the  name  of  Christ.  There 
are  some  things  we  are  to  condemn,  that  is,  give 
up,  put  out  of  our  life — ungodliness  and  worldly 
lust.     There  is   something  we  are  to  do — live 


TITUS  II  245 

soberly,  righteously  and  godly  in  this  present 
world.  It  is  not  enough  to  intend  to  be  saintly 
when  we  get  to  heaven;  we  are  to  be  saintly  in 
this  present  evil  world. 

The  closing  words  tell  us  what  the  motive  for 
a  Christian  life  should  be — the  blessed  hope  and 
appearing  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  has  given  Him- 
self for  us — this  reminds  us  of  the  cross.  Then, 
He  is  coming  again — this  is  a  glorious  hope,  which 
cheers  all  believers  in  this  world.  Life  may  be 
hard  here,  with  struggle,  self-denial,  toil  and  loss, 
but  we  are  to  live  for  that  day  when  Christ  will 
come  again,  when  all  earth's  iniquities  shall  be 
made  right. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE  PEIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST 

Bead  Heh.  IX 

The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  was  written  to  those 
who  felt  that  in  giving  up  Judaism  for  Chris- 
tianity they  had  lost  much  that  was  dear  to  them. 
The  writer  showed  them  that  while  the  outward 
form  was  gone,  Christianity  had  given  them  in- 
stead realities  which  were  incalculably  better  and 
more  glorious  than  what  they  had  parted  with. 
In  this  passage  Hebrew  Christians  are  shown  that 
in  place  of  the  human  priesthood,  they  had  now 
as  their  priest  Jesus  Christ,  the  eternal  Son  of 
God. 

In  other  parts  of  this  epistle  we  have  other 
words  about  Jesus  as  High  Priest.  The  Jewish 
priest  was  chosen  by  God,  not  self-appointed. 
Christ  did  not  glorify  Himself  to  be  made  a  high 
priest,  but  was  called  of  God  for  the  holy  honour. 
Again,  the  human  priest  was  to  be  a  man  of  kindly 
sympathies,  patient  and  forbearing,  one  who  could 
bear  gently  with  the  ignorant  and  erring.  Christ 
was  boundless  in  His  capacity  for  compassion. 
He  knows  human  life,  not  through  His  divine 
knowledge  merely,  but  because  as  man  He  had 

246 


HEBREWS  IX  247 

tried  all  life.  He  was  tempted  in  all  points  like 
as  we  are,  yet  without  sin,  without  yielding,  al- 
ways victorious.  He  offered  prayers  with  strong 
crying  and  tears.  Though  the  Son  of  God,  He 
yet  learned  obedience  by  the  things  which  He 
suffered.  Thus  He  was  glorified  to  be  our  Priest. 
A  priest  is  one  who  stands  between  us  and 
God.  The  Jewish  priest  was  only  a  type  of  the 
divine.  No  man  can  truly  go  to  God  for  us  or 
come  to  us  from  God.  An  ancient  philosopher, 
of  peculiar  character,  received  a  visit  from  Alex- 
ander the  Great.  The  emperor  stood  in  the  door- 
way of  the  hovel  in  which  Diogenes  lived  and 
asked  if  there  was  anything  Alexander  the  king 
could  do  for  him.  The  philosopher  replied,  ''Yes, 
there  is  one  thing — you  can  stand  out  of  my  light. ' ' 
One  thing  which  our  friends  can  do  for  us  is 
to  keep  out  from  between  us  and  the  Sun,  from 
between  us  and  God.  We  need  no  man  to  be  our 
priest.  Indeed,  no  one  can  reveal  God  to  us 
save  as  he  has  the  mind  of  Christ  and  thus  be- 
comes an  interpreter  of  the  divine  nature  and 
the  divine  love  and  grace.  Yet  everyone  does 
really  need  a  priest — in  our  sinfulness  we  cannot 
go  to  God,  neither  can  God  come  to  us,  excepting 
through  a  mediator.  Christ  came  to  bring  God 
down  close  to  us,  into  intimate,  personal  relations 
with  us.  He  was  indeed  God  Himself,  revealing 
in  a  human  life  the  grace  and  beauty,  the  love 
and  mercy  of  God.  ''He  that  hath  seen  me  hath 
seen  the  Father,"  He  said.    In  no  other  way  can 


248       THE  PEIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST 

we  see  or  know  God  but  in  Jesus  Christ.  Then, 
in  no  other  way  can  we  come  to  God.  Jesus  said, 
*'I  am  the  way  ...  no  one  cometh  unto  the 
Father,  but  by  me.^*  In  Christ  we  can  get  nearer 
to  God  than  we  can  to  any  friend.  No  Jewish 
priest  was  ever  to  his  people  what  Christ  is  to 
all  His  friends  as  their  High  Priest.  Human 
priests,  the  holiest  and  best,  were  full  of  faults 
and  sins,  and  could  be  but  most  imperfect  re- 
vealers  of  God  to  men.  But  Christ  is  perfect, 
holy,  without  fault  or  blemish. 

In  the  passage  before  us  we  have  other  points 
of  superiority  in  the  priesthood  of  Christ. 

1.  He  was  a  High  Priest  of  good  things  to 
come.  The  old  dispensation  was  but  the  dim  dawn 
of  the  glorious  day  of  the  new.  The  blessings 
of  the  gospel  are  infinitely  greater  than  were 
the  blessings  of  Judaism.  Of  these  good  things 
Christ  was  the  High  Priest.  He  came  to  bring 
them  to  us. 

2.  Christ  ministered  as  Priest  in  a  greater  and 
more  glorious  tabernacle.  It  was  only  a  tent,  first, 
and  afterwards  a  temple,  in  which  the  Jewish 
priests  ministered,  a  tabernacle  made  with  hands, 
earthly  and  temporal.  But  Christ  passed  into  the 
true  Holy  Place,  that  is,  into  heaven  itself.  The 
Jewish  priest  stood  in  a  little  inner  room,  inter- 
ceding before  a  mercy  seat  of  gold ;  Christ  stands 
in  the  midst  of  the  divine  glory,  in  the  immediate 
presence  of  God  Himself. 

3.  The  Jewish  priest  brought  the  blood  of 


HEBREWS  IX  249 

goats  and  calves  when  he  appeared  before  God. 
These  offerings  had  their  use.  They  were  pictures 
of  the  offering  which  Jesus  afterwards  made. 
But  they  had  no  efficacy  in  themselves.  "For 
it  is  impossible  that  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats 
should  take  away  sins."  But  Christ  entered  in 
through  His  own  blood  into  the  Holy  Place.  This 
offering  had  infinite  efficacy  because  it  was  the 
blood  of  the  Son  of  God.  This  is  made  very  clear 
in  the  words  we  are  studying.  "For  if  the  blood 
of  goats  and  bulls,  and  the  ashes  of  a  heifer  sprin- 
kling them  that  have  been  defiled,  sanctify  unto 
the  cleanness  of  the  flesh :  how  much  more  shall  the 
blood  of  Christ,  who  through  the  eternal  Spirit 
offered  himself  without  blemish  unto  God,  cleanse 
your  conscience  from  dead  works  to  serve  the 
living  God?"  The  blood  of  animals  had  no  power 
to  purify  a  life,  but  the  blood  of  Christ  can  make 
clean  the  most  defiled  conscience.  That  is,  the 
redemption  of  Christ  purifies  the  life,  changes  it, 
transforms  it,  makes  it  holy.  We  must  not  think 
that  all  Christ  does  for  us  is  to  deliver  us  from 
the  penalty  of  sin,  setting  us  free  from  condemna- 
tion. This  would  not  be  salvation  so  long  as  the 
life  continued  sinful.  He  saves  us  from  our  sins 
in  the  true  and  full  sense,  putting  His  Spirit 
into  our  hearts  as  a  new  motive  principle,  to  dis- 
place and  replace  the  old  evil  heart.  Thus  we 
are  saved  from  the  love  of  sinning. 

4.    The  Jewish  priesit  made  intercession  for 
the  people  in  the  Holy  of  holies.    But  he  him- 


250       THE  PRIESTHOOD  OF  CHRIST 

self  was  a  sinner  and  had  first  to  make  inter- 
cession for  himself.  Christ,  our  High  Priest, 
makes  intercession,  too.  He  made  His  offering 
on  the  cross,  and  then  passed  into  heaven  and 
stands  before  God,  making  continual  intercession 
for  us. 

"We  cannot  understand  all  that  this  interces- 
sion means.  We  know  that  Christ  has  the  in- 
terests of  all  His  people  in  His  heart  and  in  His 
hands.  He  does  not  forget  any  of  us,  nor  is  He 
ever  ignorant  of  our  need  or  our  danger.  He 
makes  our  interests  His  own,  and  speaks  to  His 
Father  for  us.  All  authority  is  His,  in  heaven 
and  on  earth,  and  we  need  never  fear  that  any- 
thing can  go  wrong  with  us  while  He  is  thinking 
of  us  and  caring  for  us. 

In  some  mysterious  way  He  presents  His  own 
blood  before  the  face  of  God  as  a  plea  for  us. 
We  are  sinners,  but  He  died  for  us.  In  one  place 
He  is  called  our  Advocate,  appearing  before  God 
to  look  after  our  case,  as  a  trusted  earthly  advo- 
cate stands  for  his  client  before  a  court  of  jus- 
tice. 

5.  The  superiority  of  Christ's  priesthood  is 
shown  further  in  the  fact  that  His  offering  of 
Himself  once  was  enough.  The  Jewish  high 
priests  made  atonement  yearly,  entering  into  the 
Holy  of  holies  with  blood.  But  Christ  made  only 
one  sacrifice,  and  this  sufficed  for  the  eternal  re- 
demption of  all  who  believe  on  Him.  **Nor  yet 
that  he  should  offer  himself  often,  as  the  high 


HEBREWS  IX  251 

priest  entereth  into  the  holy  place  year  by  year 
with  blood  not  his  owtn;  else  must  he  often  have 
suffered  since  the  foundation  of  the  world:  but 
now  once  at  the  end  of  the  ages  hath  he  been  mani- 
fested to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  him- 
self." We  must  note  that  by  the  blood  of  Christ 
is  meant  the  giving  of  His  life  in  love's  sacrifice. 
''The  blood  is  the  life."  Christ  poured  out  His 
life,  giving  all,  giving  Himself,  to  redeem  us. 

6.  Christ's  work  as  our  High  Priest  will  go 
on  until  His  redeemed  ones  are  all  brought  home 
to  glory.  ''So  Christ  also,  having  been  once  of- 
fered to  bear  the  sins  of  many,  shall  appear  a 
second  time,  apart  from  sin,  to  them  that  wait  for 
him,  unto  salvation."  The  meaning  of  this  is  that 
Christ's  work  for  His  people  is  going  on  now  in 
heaven,  and  will  continue  until  He  comes  again, 
not  then  as  Saviour  bearing  His  people's  sin,  but 
bringing  full  salvation  and  eternal  glory. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

HEROES  OF  FAITH 

Read  Eeh.  XI 

A  GREAT  deal  is  said  in  the  Bible  about  faith.  We 
live  by  faith  when  we  believe  in  things  we  cannot 
see  and  then  act  as  if  the  things  were  true.  That 
is  what  the  first  verse  teaches  us.  *' Faith  is  as- 
surance of  things  hoped  for."  We  hope  that 
God  loves  us.  If  we  become  so  assured  of  this 
that  we  take  the  hope  into  our  hearts  as  a  fact, 
that  is  faith.  If  we  really  believe  that  God  loves 
us,  the  truth  means  a  great  deal  to  us.  We  are 
not  then  afraid  of  God — He  is  our  Friend.  We 
have  many  hard  things  to  endure — losses,  sor- 
rows, sufferings,  disappointments — but  if  we 
really  believe  that  God  loves  us,  we  shall  not  be 
greatly  disturbed  by  such  experiences.  If  we 
actually  believe  that  Christ  rose  from  the  dead, 
we  know  that  we  have  a  living  Saviour  who  is 
our  Friend,  our  Companion,  our  Helper,  our 
Guide. 

Faith  is  '"a  conviction  of  things  not  seen." 
That  is,  it  makes  us  as  sure  of  the  unseen  things 
in  which  we  believe  as  if  they  were  visible  to  our 
natural  eyes.    Columbus  believed  there  was  a  land, 

252 


HEBEEWS  XI  253 

a  continent,  another  country,  beyond  the  sea,  and 
the  belief  became  such  a  strong  conviction  that 
he  pushed  out  upon  the  sea  to  find  the  land  he 
believed  in,  and  sailed  on  till  he  found  it.  The 
Bible  tells  us  of  a  world  beyond  the  earth,  our 
Father's  house,  home,  eternal  life.  We  cannot 
see  it.  But  if  we  have  faith,  this  heavenly  coun- 
try becomes  as  real  to  us  as  England  is  to  the 
tourist  who  puts  out  upon  the  sea  this  month  to 
cross  the  ocean  to  Liverpool. 

''Therein  the  elders  had  witness  borne  to 
them."  The  men  who  have  won  an  honourable 
record  in  the  past  have  won  it  through  faith.  Peo- 
ple who  have  not  faith  never  make  much  of  their 
lives.  It  is  so  even  on  lower  planes.  We  can  have 
friends  only  through  faith.  We  cannot  always 
watch  people  to  see  if  they  are  true  to  us.  We 
cannot  keep  them  always  in  our  sight.  When 
they  are  away  from  us  we  cannot  have  spies  fol- 
lowing them  to  see  if  they  are  friendly  to  us.  • 
Then,  we  cannot  see  in  people  the  things  we  want 
in  our  friends — truth,  goodness,  gentleness,  un- 
selfishness, faithfulness,  nobleness.  We  can  see 
these  qualities  only  by  faith.  So  we  can  never 
have  friends  excepting  by  faith.  All  lofty  at- 
tainments and  achievements  of  every  kind  are 
reached  only  by  faith.  All  true  heroes  are  heroes 
of  faith. 

''By  faith  we  understand  that  the  worlds  have 
been  framed  by  the  word  of  God."  Nobody  saw 
God  making  the  worlds.     Only  by  faith  do  we 


254  HEROES  OF  FAITH 

know  how  tliey  came  into  being.  The  Bible  tells 
us  all  we  know  about  this.  We  turn  back  to 
Genesis  and  we  have  a  vision  of  a  period  where 
there  was  nothing  but  God.  "In  the  beginning 
God.'^  Then  we  have  a  vision  of  the  earth  as 
chaos — ''waste  and  void,"  and  the  Spirit  of  God 
brooding  over  it  in  love  as  the  future  home  of 
God's  children.  Then  we  have  the  story  of  cre^ 
ation,  completed  at  last  in  man  made  in  God's 
image.  Whatever  theory  of  the  manner  of  order 
of  creation  we  may  accept,  we  know  at  least  by 
faith  that  ''the  worlds  have  been  framed  by  the 
word  of  God." 

"By  faith  Abraham,  being  tried,  offered  up 
Isaac."  Abraham's  whole  life  from  his  call 
was  a  life  of  faith,  but  the  supreme  test  came 
when  he  was  bidden  to  give  up  his  son,  his  only 
son.  He  raised  no  questions.  It  was  not  his 
business  to  ask  why.  It  was  God  who  had  given 
the  promise  which  centered  in  Isaac,  and  it  was 
God  who  now  sent  Abraham  to  Mount  Moriah  to 
offer  Isaac  on  the  altar.  He  could  not  understand, 
but  God  understood,  and  that  was  enough ;  Abra- 
ham's  only  duty  was  to  obey.  That  was  faith. 
He  accounted  that  God  was  able  to  raise  up  Isaac 
from  the  dead.  Nothing  that  God  commands  us 
to  do  ever  can  bring  harm  or  real  loss  to  us. 
His  commandments  never  annul  or  cancel  His 
purposes  or  clash  with  them.  No  painful  and 
costly  sacrifice  He  ever  demands  can  possibly  in- 
terfere with  God's  covenant  of  love. 


HEBREWS  XI  255 

**By  faith  Jacob,  when  he  was  dying,  blessed 
each  of  tlie  sons  of  Joseph/'  The  faith  of  Jacob, 
shown  in  this  incident,  was  in  the  way  he  crossed 
his  hands  when  he  blessed  these  boys.  Joseph 
heard  that  the  old  man,  his  father,  was  sick,  and 
he  took  his  sons  to  have  the  grandfather's  bless- 
ing upon  them  before  he  died.  Jacob  loved 
Joseph,  and  he  loved  Joseph's  sons  and  adopted 
them,  taking  them  in  among  his  own  sons,  kiss- 
ing and  embracing  them,  then  stretching  out  his 
thin,  trembling  hands  and  laying  them  on  the 
heads  of  the  lads,  while  he  uttered  this  beautiful 
benediction  upon  them:  ''The  God  before  whom 
my  fathers  Abraham  and  Isaac  did  walk,  the  God 
who  hath  fed  me  all  my  life  long  unto  this  day,  the 
angel  who  hath  redeemed  me  from  all  evil,  bless 
the  lads;  and  let  my  name  be  named  on  them." 
Joseph  had  set  the  boys  before  his  blind  father,  so 
that  his  right  hand  would  rest  on  the  elder  and  his 
left  on  the  younger.  But  Jacob  crossed  his  hands 
so  that  the  right  lay  on  the  head  of  the  younger, 
''guiding  his  hands  wittingly."  Joseph  tried  to 
correct  the  old  man's  mistake,  but  Jacob  knew 
what  he  was  doing.  Ephraim,  the  younger,  should 
be  greater. 

"By  faith  Joseph,  when  his  end  was  nigh, 
made  mention  of  the  departure  of  the  children  of 
Israel;  and  gave  commandment  concerning  his 
bones."  We  are  looking  for  faith  in  our  study 
of  these  old-time  stories.  Joseph  took  an  oath 
of  his  brothers  that  they  should  not  bury  him  in. 


256  HEROES  OF  FAITH 

Egypt.  ' '  God  will  surely  visit  you,  .  .  .  and 
ye  shall  carry  up  my  bones  from  hence."  That 
was  faith.  Egypt  had  been  the  place  of  his  glory, 
but  he  was  not  an  Egyptian;  he  was  a  patriotic 
Israelite.  He  believed  God's  promise  that  He 
would  lead  His  people  to  their  own  land,  and  he 
left  it  in  his  will  that  then  his  body  should  be 
carried  up  and  buried  among  his  people-. 

**By  faith  Moses,  when  he  was  born,  was  hid 
three  months  .  .  .  when  he  was  grown  up, 
refused  to  be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daugh- 
ter." The  first  example  of  faith  was  in  his 
parents.  They  were  led  to  believe  that  their 
boy  was  to  be  the  deliverer  of  his  people,  and 
so  they  determined  that  his  life  should  be  spared. 
It  is  a  beautiful  story  that  tells  of  the  way  they 
preserved  him  and  secured  his  bringing  up,  first, 
under  his  mother's  care  that  he  might  be  a  loyal 
Israelite,  and  then  under  the  princess  of  Egypt, 
that  he  might  have  the  best  education  the  world 
of  that  day  could  give  him,  so  as  to  be  ready  to 
be  the  leader  and  lawgiver  of  his  nation.  The 
other  example  of  faith  was  in  Moses  himself,  who, 
when  he  came  to  know  and  understand  the  condi- 
tion of  his  people,  and  their  wrongs,  renounced 
Egypt  with  its  honours  and  wealth,  that  he  might 
devote  himself  to  the  interests  of  his  people.  It 
was  a  tremendous  cost  and  sacrifice  that  Moses 
made  cause  with  his  people.  But  faith  never 
counts  the  cost.  It  sees  the  good  before  it  and 
gives  up  everything  to  attain  it. 


HEBREWS  XI  257 

'*He  endured,  as  seeing  him  who  is  invisible." 
Here  we  have  the  secret  of  the  endurance  of  Moses 
in  all  his  noble  life.  He  did  not  see  God — no  one 
ever  saw  God,  who  is  invisible.  But  his  faith 
made  God  as  real  to  him  as  if  he  had  actually 
seen  Him.  If  we  had  the  faith  we  might  have 
and  should  have,  Christ's  presence,  which  is 
promised  to  us  continually,  would  be  as  real  to 
us  as  it  was  to  His  first  disciples  when  they  were 
with  Him  in  Galilee.  Then  we  should  be  strong, 
invincible,  victorious.  Why  should  we  not  begin 
to  '^practice  the  presence  of  God"? 
17 


CHAPTER  XL 

BELIEVING  AND  DOING 

Read  James  II:  14-26 

James  was  a  practical  man.  He  wanted  a  religion 
of  deeds.  "Can  that  faith  save  him?"  That  is, 
faith  without  works,  faith  which  is  only  of  the 
intellect,  having  no  influence  on  the  life.  We  are 
saved  by  faith,  because  the  faith  unites  us  to 
Christ.  There  is  no  virtue  in  faith  itself  save 
as  it  brings  us  into  relations  with  the  source  of 
all  blessing. 

One  of  the  figures  James  himself  uses  is  the 
vine  and  its  branches.  By  faith  we  became 
branches  in  Christ.  As  the  life  of  the  vine  flows 
into  its  branches,  so  the  life  of  Christ  flows  into 
those  who  believe  on  Him.  They  are  changed, 
born  again.  They  do  the  same  kind  of  works  that 
Jesus  did,  because  He  lives  in  them. 

It  is  made  very  plain  in  the  Bible  that  the 
faith  that  saves  produces  holy  life,  obedience  to 
the  holy  commands.  Hence  any  faith  that  does 
not  produce  good  works  is  not  saving  faith. 
There  are  persons  whose  creed  is  excellent — they 
believe  all  the  important  truths  in  the  Bible.    Yet 

258 


JAMES  H:  14-26  259 

they  do  not  keep  the  commandments,  do  not  live 
the  Christian  life.  Can  that  faith  save  them? 
Nothing  is  more  clearly  taught  than  that  only 
those  who  are  holy  can  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  ''Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart:  for  they 
shall  see  God" — they  and  they  only  shall  see  God. 
James  uses  a  very  practical  illustration:  "If 
a  brother  or  sister  be  naked  and  in  lack  of  daily 
food,  and  one  of  you  say  unto  them.  Go  in  peace 
.  .  .  and  yet  ye  give  them  not  the  things 
needful  to  the  body;  what  doth  it  profit?" 
This  is  about  all  that  a  good  many  persons  do 
for  those  who  are  in  need.  They  speak  cour- 
teously and  kindly  to  them.  They  say:  "I  am 
very  sorry  you  are  having  all  this  trouble,  but  I 
am  sure  you  will  find  the  help  you  need.  I  hope 
somebody  will  give  you  some  clothes  and  some- 
thing to  eat."  Sometimes  they  close  their  sym- 
pathetic little  speech  with  a  pious,  "God  bless 
you!"  Perhaps  they  say,  for  the  still  greater 
encouragement  of  the  needy  one,  "I  am  going 
to  pray  God  to  send  you  relief."  Yet  what  does 
all  this  cheap  sympathy  amount  to?  It  does  not 
warm  the  shivering  man,  nor  relieve  his  hunger. 
Such  "love"  is  only  an  empty  mockery.  What 
a  pity  it  is  so  common!  True  love  proves  its 
genuineness  by  works  of  mercy  and  kindness. 
Instead  of  saying,  "Go  in  peace,  be  ye  warmed 
and  filled,"  it  brings  out  warm  garments  and 
bread,  and  the  brother  or  sister  goes  away  in 
comfort  with  hunger  satisfied.    That  is  the  kind 


260  BELIEVING  AND  DOING 

of  love  tliat  profits.    Love,  as  well  as  faith,  with- 
out works  is  dead. 

A  little  girl  was  overheard  saying  her  even- 
ing prayer,  and  this  is  part  of  what  she  said: 
''Lord,  I  saw  a  little  girl  to-day.  She  seemed 
very  poor.  Her  clothes  were  very  thin,  and  she 
was  shivering  in  the  cold.  She  looked  hungry, 
too.  I  felt  very  sorry  for  her.  It  seemed  that 
I  ought  to  do  something  for  her.  But  it  wasn't 
any  of  my  business,  was  it.  Lord?" 

"I  by  my  works  will  show  thee  my  faith." 
That  is  the  only  way  faith  can  be  shown.  Faith 
is  not  some  mysterious  thing  which  saves  us  by 
magic.  It  is  not  a  charm  which  one  may  wear 
upon  his  bosom  to  ward  off  evil  spirits  and  bring 
good  fortune.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  faith 
apart  from  works.  The  belief  that  does  not 
affect  the  life  is  a  dead  belief.  If  a  man  says, 
"I  believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  and  then 
is  dishonest,  untruthful,  selfish,  envious,  he  proves 
that  his  faith  in  Christ  is  only  an  empty  thing. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  a  man  says,  "I  believe  on 
Christ,"  and  then  lives  a  good  life,  true,  loving, 
unselfish,  helpful,  and  is  earnest  in  doing  good 
in  the  name  of  Christ,  he  is  showing  his  faith  in 
his  works. 

Paul  tells  us  that  we  are  justified  by  faith,  but 
in  the  same  sentence  he  goes  on  to  show  that  the 
faith  which  justifies  us  works  in  us^ — we  have 
peace  with  God,  access  unto  the  grace  wherein 
Ve  stand,  and  rejoice  in  hope  of  the  glory  of 


JAMES  11:14-26  261 

God.  Paul's  great  doctrine  is  that  of  justifica- 
tion by  faitli,  but  no  one  insists  more  earnestly 
than  does  Paul  upon  good  works,  holy  living, 
the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  a  life  full  of  Christ,  as 
the  outcome  of  this  justifying  faith. 

We  must  not  infer  that  all  good  works  are 
pleasing  to  God,  or  that  any  man  is  justified 
by  works  alone.  All  the  good  work  of  the  world 
put  together  would  not  save  one  soul.  It  is  only 
when  one  has  true  faith  that  works  count  for 
anything.  The  good  works  which  God  approves 
are  those  which  are  inspired  by  faith  in  God  and 
love  for  God.  Abraham  had  strong  faith,  and 
his  faith  inspired  noble  life,  obedience,  holiness, 
and  whatsoever  things  are  true.  So  Abraham 
became  known  as  the  friend  of  God,  because  he 
trusted  God  so  fully  and  because  his  trust  was 
shown  in  his  deeds,  in  his  character,  and  in  his 
whole  life.  We  may  become  friends,  too,  if  we 
will.  A  friend  is  one  whom  we  have  learned  to 
trust,  on  whom  we  know  from  experience  we  may 
depend.  Wlien  God  can  depend  on  us  to  trust 
Him,  obey  Him,  and  follow  Him,  then  have  we 
become  God's  friends. 


CHAPTER  XLI 

THE  POWEK  OF  THE  TONGUE 

Read  James  III:  1-12 


The  exhortation,  ''Be  not  many  of  you  teachers 
is  a  warning  against  the  spirit  which  is  always 
giving  advice  to  people,  trying  to  direct  their  lives 
and  control  their  opinions  and  their  movements. 
Some  people  are  ready  with  advice  on  every  sub- 
ject. No  question  of  duty  in  other  people's  lives 
is  so  delicate  that  they  cannot  settle  it  at  once. 
Where  wise,  thoughtful  men  are  silent,  they  speak 
out  with  boldest  self-confidence.  They  are  al- 
ways obtruding  advice  unsought  upon  others. 
They  understand  your  business  far  better  than 
you  do  yourself.  They  know  what  you  ought  to 
do  in  every  experience.  They  are  as  much  at 
home  in  spiritual  matters  as  in  local  gossip,  and 
can  tell  a  distressed  soul  what  to  do  as  glibly 
and  as  unfeelingly  as  they  can  give  advice  about 
farming  or  sheep-raising. 

Perhaps  James  did  not  have  this  sort  of 
''teachers''  in  mind,  but  it  would  be  a  blessing 
to  the  world  if  some  of  them  would  take  his 
reproof  to  heart.    There  are  very  few  people  fit 

262 


JAMES  III :  1-12  263 

to  give  advice  to  others.  Especially  are  there 
few  who  are  fit  to  guide  others  in  spiritual  mat- 
ters. It  does  not  matter  so  much  if  it  be  only 
the  cut  of  a  coat  or  the  colour  of  a  dress,  but 
when  it  is  the  eternal  interest  of  a  soul,  only 
one  who  is  living  near  the  heart  of  God  and  has 
learned  by  long  and  deep  experience  should  dare 
to  give  advice.  The  ambition  to  be  recognized  as 
leaders  is  a  sure  mark  of  vanity.  It  is  better 
to  be  the  propeller  of  a  ship,  hidden  under  the 
water,  than  the  figurehead,  vaunting  itself  on 
the  prow. 

''If  any  stumbleth  not  in  word,  the  same  is 
a  perfect  man.''  The  tongue  is  the  most  sensi- 
tive to  impression  from  within,  and  most  quickly 
interprets  the  emotions  and  feelings,  good  or  bad. 
It  is  also  the  hardest  of  all  to  control.  There- 
fore, if  we  can  control  our  tongue  there  is  no 
doubt  that  we  can  control  all  our  other  members. 
Our  tongue  is  the  wildest  and  most  wayward 
thing  about  us.  People  who  in  every  other  way 
live  almost  faultless  lives  are  constantly  stum- 
bling in  their  speech,  speaking  words  they  ought 
never  to  utter.  It  is  a  wise  rule  in  all  self-cul- 
ture and  discipline  to  give  most  attention  to  those 
things  in  which  we  are  most  lacking,  to  strengthen 
the  weak  points,  to  curb  the  wayward  elements, 
to  put  the  restraint  where  there  is  the  most  tend- 
ency to  defy  control.  Every  tongue,  therefore, 
needs  watching.  With  most  of  us  this  is  the 
weakest  and  the  strongest  point — the  weakest  in 


264      THE  POWER  OF  THE  TONGUE 

its  self-control  and  tlie  strongest  in  its  wild  way- 
wardness. 

''The  tongue  also  is  a  little  member,  and  boast- 
etb  great  things."  Two  admirable  illustrations 
of  this  are  given.  The  great,  strong  horse  is 
controlled  by  a  bridle,  and  the  largest  ship  obeys 
the  rudder  even  in  the  wildest  storms.  What 
the  bit  is  to  the  horse,  what  the  rudder  is  to 
the  ship,  that  the  tongue  is  to  the  body.  Not 
only  does  the  speech  express  the  inner  emotions, 
but  it  reacts  again  upon  those  emotions.  Thus 
uncontrolled  speech  does  double  harm.  Evil 
words  spoken,  while  they  do  harm  to  others, 
kindle  also  into  still  intenser  flamie  the  inner  pas- 
sions which  first  prompted  them.  ''You  cannot 
deliberately  smirch  your  sister's  reputation,  how- 
ever bad  a  woman  she  may  be,  without  making 
yourself  a  worse  woman. ' '  We  are  not  done  with 
wicked  words  when  we  have  uttered  them.  While 
they  go  out  into  life  on  their  career  of  hurt  and 
injury,  our  own  life  has  in  it  a  new  element  of 
evil  because  of  their  utterance.  Our  duty  is  to 
get  and  keep  our  tongue  well  in  hand;  to  get  a 
rider  on  the  horse  who  shall  guide  the  fiery  ani- 
mal ;  to  get  a  pilot  on  the  ship  whose  hand  on  the 
wheel  shall  be  instantly  recognized  and  instantly 
yielded  to  in  the  fiercest  gale.  The  tongue  is 
capable  of  wonderful  mastership  over  the  life, 
if  only  it  can  be  made  servant  to  a  good  heart 
and  a  strong  will. 

*'The  tongue  is  a  fire."    It  is  "the  world  of 


JAMES  111:1-12  265 

iniquity.  * '  If  defileth  the  whole  body. '  *  It '  *  set- 
teth  on  fire  the  wheel  of  nature.'^  It  is  "set  on 
fire  by  hell.^^  The  old  hunter  lighted  his  pipe, 
then  threw  down  the  match  among  the  dry  leaves 
and  passed  on.  In  a  little  while  the  whole  forest 
back  of  him  was  aflame.  A  kerosene  lamp  was 
upset  by  the  kick  of  a  cow  in  a  stable,  and  soon 
almost  the  whole  city  was  in  ruins.  A  boy's 
Fourth  of  July  firecracker  carried  a  spark  to  a 
dry  roof,  and  another  city  suffered  from  a  terrible 
conflagration.  A  spark  from,  a  passing  locomo- 
tive flew  into  the  dry  grass,  and  a  prairie  was 
overswept  by  fire.  There  are  many  people  like  the 
old  hunter,  throwing  burning  matches  among  the 
dry  leaves  in  almost  every  conversation.  There 
are  men  and  women  who  are  continually  upset- 
ting lamps  among  the  hay  and  starting  con- 
flagrations. The  tongue  is  a  fire,  and  words  are 
sparks.  Ofttimes  the  words  bum  into  some  ten- 
der heart,  almost  extinguishing  its  life. 

*'The  tongue  can  no  man  tame.'*  This  may 
seem  rather  a  discouraging  word.  We  must  not 
conclude  from  it  that  the  tongue  cannot  possibly 
be  tamed.  No  man  can  tame  his  own  tongue  or 
the  tongue  of  another,  but  Christ  is  able  to  get 
the  mastery  for  us  over  every  power  of  our  own 
being.  The  story  of  Moses  is  suggestive.  When 
he  went  out,  at  forty  years  of  age,  thinking  he 
was  able  to  begin  his  work,  he  had  not  yet  mas- 
tered his  tongue  or  his  temper.  God  took  him 
into  the  wilderness,  and  for  forty  years  had  him 


266      THE  POWER  OF  THE  TONGUE 

in  training.  Then  lie  came  out,  at  tlie  age  of 
eighty,  and  was  ready  to  become  the  leader  and 
the  lawgiver  of  his  people.  This  may  seem  dis- 
couraging, too — rthat  it  took  forty  years  to  tame 
a  man's  tongue.  Perhaps  most  of  us  will  find 
that  it  does  take  a  good  many  years  to  get  per- 
fect mastery  over  our  speech.  At  the  same  time, 
there  is  nothing  in  us  so  masterful,  so  resistless, 
so  perverse  that  the  grace  of  God  cannot  bring 
it  into  full  subjection. 

''Therewith  bless  we  the  Lord  and  Father; 
and  therewith  curse  we  men."  It  is  inconsistent 
that  the  same  tongue  which  is  given  to  praise 
God  should  to-morrow,  out  in  the  world,  speak 
bitter  words  against  men.  No  doubt  many  good 
people  are  sometimes  led  by  sudden  impulses  to 
speak  words  that  are  not  true  or  loving  to  or  of 
others.  But  every  Christian  should  understand 
that  the  tongue  which  has  been  given  to  Christ 
should  never  speak  any  but  Christly  words.  "We 
are  to  be  Christ  to  others,  and  our  words  should 
be  Christ's  words.  We  should  train  ourselves, 
under  God's  grace,  to  cherish  only  good  thoughts, 
kindly  thoughts,  loving  thoughts,  and  instantly  to 
quench  in  our  heart  every  thought  of  bitterness 
or  cursing.  If  the  evil  thoughts  be  quenched 
there  will  be  no  flame  of  anger  or  passion  bursting 
from  our  lips.  If  our  heart  is  filled  with  love, 
our  speech  will  not  give  vent  to  bitterness,  to 
wrath,  to  anger,  to  scandal,  to  anything  that  is 
not  beautiful. 


JAMES  111:1-12  267 

*'Wlio  is  wise?  ...  let  him  show  by  his 
good  life  his  works  in  meekness  of  wisdom.'*  A 
man  may  take  the  honours  of  his  class  iu  col- 
lege and  be  a  walking  encyclopedia  of  informa- 
tion, and  yet  have  no  wisdom  for  the  ordinary 
affairs  of  life.  His  knowledge  does  him  no  good. 
One  may  know  all  the  precepts  of  the  gospel  con- 
cerning love,  gentleness,  or  patience,  and  yet  if 
he  does  not  show  these  qualities  in  his  daily  life 
the  knowledge  goes  for  nothing.  Knowing  how 
to  live  is  good,  but  doing  is  the  test  of  true  know- 
ing. The  tongue  is  an  index  of  the  heart.  Out 
of  the  fullness  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh. 
We  must,  therefore,  show  our  wisdom  in  our 
words.  The  kind  of  speech  that  proves  our  wis- 
dom is  that  which  is  filled  with  the  Spirit  of 
Christ.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  disciples 
got  new  tongues.  Even  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  will  not  enable  us  to  speak  Italian  or 
Spanish  without  the  labour  of  learning  these  lan- 
guages, but  it  will  enable  us  to  speak  the  language 
of  heaven,  the  language  of  love — the  soft  answer 
which  turneth  away  wrath,  the  word  of  blessing 
for  one  who  curses,  the  word  of  gentleness  in 
reply  to  rudeness,  the  prayer  for  those  who  per- 
secute. 


CHAPTER  XLII 

THE   HEAVENLY  INHEKITANCE 

Bead  I  Peter  1: 1-12 

It  is  a  sweet  pleasure  to  be  chosen  to  be  a  friend 
even  by  a  true  and  noble  man,  to  have  a  pure 
and  loving  heart  turn  to  us  and  choose  us  from 
among  many  for  regard,  affection  and  interest. 
But  it  is  far  more  precious  to  know  that  God  has 
chosen  us  to  be  His  friends.  His  children.  Jesus 
said  of  His  disciples,  *'Ye  did  not  choose  me,  but 
I  chose  you."  Peter  wrote  to  the  ''elect  .  .  . 
according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  G-od."  We 
are  told  also  that  we  love  God  because  He  first 
loved  us.  Instead  of  puzzling  our  brains  over 
the  doctrine  of  "election,"  let  us  accept  the  sweet 
thought  which  such  words  as  these  bring  to  our 
hearts,  that  we  are  thought  about  by  our  heavenly 
Father  and  are  then  made  by  Him.  How  sacred 
it  makes  our  life  seem  to  think  of  it  in  this  way ! 
"When  God  chooses  us  to  be  His  children,  He 
also  provides  for  making  us  holy  and  meet  to  be 
partakers  of  the  heavenly  inheritance.  The  word 
**sanctification"  has  two  senses.  It  means  a  set- 
ting apart.  The  Father  chooses  us  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  sets  us  apart  as  God's.    We  belong  to  Him 

268 


I  PETER  1 : 1-12  269 

and  are  sacred  to  His  uses.  Then  tEe  word  means 
also  the  actual  cleansing  of  the  nature — ^making 
it  holy.  The  Spirit  enters  into  our  heart  and 
makes  His  home  there,  purifying  the  fountains 
of  life  and  overcoming  and  driving  out  the  evil 
of  the  flesh.  The  blood  of  Christ  also  has  a  part 
in  the  making  holy  of  those  whom  the  Father 
has  chosen.  We  are  redeemed  by  His  blood.  The 
blood  cleanses  from  all  sin.  Thus  the  three  per- 
sons of  the  Trinity  are  active  in  the  saving  of 
everyone  who  is  saved.  The  Father  chose,  the 
Son  made  atonement,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  purifies 
and  sanctifies. 

We  enter  God^s  spiritual  family  by  a  new 
birth.  God  ^' begat  us  again  unto  a  living  hope." 
In  our  natural  state  we  are  not  ready  for  life 
in  God's  household.  A  wicked  man,  with  an  un- 
holy heart,  could  never  be  happy  in  heaven.  He 
cannot  even  be  happy  in  a  prayer  meeting  on 
earth.  We  must  have  holy  feelings,  desires  and 
affections  before  we  are  prepared  for  living  in 
a  holy  atmosphere.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  must 
come  into  our  heart  before  we  can  enter  into  the 
kingdom.  So  God  provides  that  when  we  accept 
Christ,  the  Holy  Spirit  renews  and  changes  our 
nature,  giving  us  the  child-heart.  We  see  here 
also  that  it  is  not  for  anything  in  ourselves  that 
God  has  chosen  us,  changed  our  heart,  and  taken 
us  into  His  family,  but  ''according  to  his  great 
mercy."  Mercy  always  implies  unworthiness. 
We  are  saved  through  the  grace  and  love  of  God. 


270     THE  HEAVENLY  INHEEITANCE 

There  is  a  glimpse  here,  too,  of  the  blessedness 
of  the  Christian's  hope.  It  is  a  ''living"  hope. 
We  are  born  again  to  an  inheritance  of  life, 
eternal  life.  Our  hope  itself  is  living  and  eter- 
nal. Earth's  best  things  are  uncertain,  and  at 
their  best  are  only  for  a  time.  But  the  hope  of 
the  Christian  is  immortal.  It  is  guaranteed  by 
Christ's  resurrection.  He  conquered  death,  and 
all  who  rest  upon  Him  live  with  Him  for  ever- 
more. 

Here  we  see  what  our  living  hope  is.  It  is 
an  inheritance,  a  free  gift  to  us,  something  which 
comes  to  us  from  our  Father.  It  is  not  like 
earthly  inheritances,  however,  for  they  are  liable 
to  waste  or  to  be  lost.  This  inheritance  is  "in- 
corruptible," that  is,  it  is  not  subject  to  decay, 
but  is  eternah  It  is  ''undefiled."  Some  earthly 
inheritances  pass  down  to  children  stained  in 
the  getting.  An  honest  old  man,  dying,  said  to 
his  sons,  ''I  do  not  leave  you  very  much,  but 
there  is  not  a  dirty  shilling  in  it  all."  He  meant 
that  every  penny  of  it  had  been  honestly  earned. 
This  is  not  always  true  of  this  world's  inher- 
itances. Too  often  there  is  many  a  stained  shil- 
ling in  them.  But  the  heavenly  inheritance  is 
absolutely  without  stain.  It  is  purchased  for  us 
at  the  price  of  Christ's  blood,  and  comes  to  us 
from  our  Father's  hands,  white  with  heaven's  own 
purity.  Another  thing  about  it  is  that  it  fades 
not  away.  Earthly  inheritances  often  fade  away, 
leaving  the  inheritor  in  poverty.    This  inheritance 


I  PETER  1 : 1-12  271 

is  beyond  tHe  reach  of  robber  and  money  panic 
and  all  shrinking  in  values.  It  never  can  be  taken 
from  us.  It  is  not  in  any  banks  or  investments 
of  earth,  but  is  laid  up  for  us  in  heaven,  reserved 
there  in  security  until  we  get  home. 

Not  only  is  the  inheritance  kept  in  secure 
reserve  for  us,  but  we  are  guarded  on  the  way  to 
receive  the  inheritance.  This  is  very  important. 
The  world  is  full  of  dangers  through  which  we 
must  pass  to  get  to  heaven.  On  every  hand  there 
are  enemies.  We  never  could  get  safely  to  the 
blessedness  laid  up  for  us  if  we  had  no  protec- 
tion by  the  way.  But  we  are  guarded  by  the 
divine  power.  Many  people  believe  in  guardian 
angels,  who  accompany  every  child  of  God  from 
birth  to  death.  We  are  sure  at  least  that  angels 
do  encamp  around  us  every  night  and  hover  over 
us  every  day.  Better  still,  God  Himself  is  with 
us  always,  sheltering  us  with  His  wings  of  love, 
keeping  us.  Our  part  is  faith — resting  in  the 
divine  keeping,  simply  going  forward  in  the  way 
of  duty,  leaving  to  God  the  guarding  of  our  lives. 

For  a  little  while  the  Christian  is  to  be  tried. 
**  Weeping  may  tarry  for  the  night,  but  joy  cometh 
in  the  morning."  We  can  surely  bear  trial  a 
little  while.  Then,  there  is  a  *'need  be"  in  the 
trial.  There  is  a  blessing  which  God  has  to  give 
us  that  we  cannot  get  in  any  other  way.  The 
purifying  of  the  gold  never  can  be  gotten  without 
fire.  Not  to  be  cast  into  the  hot  furnace  is  to 
keep  the  dross.    God  never  chastens  unless  there 


272     THE  HEAVENLY  INHERITANCE 

is  a  **need  be.''  Again,  the  grief  is  caused  by 
'* trials"  wbicli  are  testings  of  faith,  so  that  it 
may  shine  at  length  in  glory  at  the  appearing  of 
Christ.  So  we  ought  not  to  be  troubled  by  our 
trials.  There  is  a  blessing  in  them.  As  the 
rough,  unsightly  ore,  by  passing  through  the  fire, 
yields  at  last  bright,  shining  gold,  so  our  weak 
faith,  with  its  admixture  of  self-will  and  pride 
and  evil,  is  purified  by  the  fires  of  trial,  so  that 
at  last  it  appears  before  God  to  receive  praise, 
honour  and  glory. 

The  love  of  Christ  will  keep  us  in  temptation 
and  trial.  The  secret  of  a  faithful,  true  and 
beautiful  life  is  this  love  of  the  unseen  Friend. 
Professor  Drummond  tells  of  a  young  girl  who 
became  wondrously  beautiful  in  her  life  and  char- 
acter, growing  into  a  rare  Christlikeness.  Her 
friends  wondered  what  the  secret  could  be.  She 
wore  upon  her  breast  a  little  locket,  which  she 
always  kept  closed,  refusing  to  allow  anyone  to 
see  within  it.  Once,  however,  when  she  was  very 
ill,  a  friend  was  permitted  to  open  it  and  found 
there  only  a  little  piece  of  paper,  bearing  the 
words,  "Whom  not  having  seen,  I  love."  This 
told  the  whole  story.  Her  love  for  the  unseen 
Christ  was  the  secret  of  that  beautiful  spiritual 
life  which  had  so  impressed  itself  upon  her 
friends.  The  secret  of  the  life  of  Moses  is  given 
in  one  phrase,  "He  endured,  as  seeing  him  who 
is  invisible."  Faith  is  better  than  sight.  If  we 
believe  and  love  the  unseen  Friend,  our  life  will 


I  PETER  1 : 1-12  273 

be  firm  and  steadfast  in  all  trial,  and  will  be 
transformed  little  by  little  into  the  beauty  of 
Clirist.  We  find  here  two  blessings  coming  from 
the  love  for  the  unseen  Saviour.  One  is  unspeak- 
able joy,  even  in  a  life  of  sore  trial.  The  other 
is  ''salvation."  We  need  but  to  continue  faithful 
unto  the  end  to  receive  the  full  and  glorious  in- 
heritance. 

Both  earth  and  heaven  are  intensely  inter- 
ested in  this  great  redeeming  work  of  Christ. 
There  are  wise  men  who  are  so  busy  in  their 
researches  into  little  earthly  matters  that  they 
cannot  get  time  to  study  the  things  of  the  spir- 
itual kingdom  of  God.  Here,  however,  we  see 
that  in  heaven's  sight  nothing  in  this  world  so 
merits  the  thought,  study  and  research  of  the 
wisest  beings  in  the  universe  as  Christ's  work 
of  redemption.  The  interest  of  the  angels  in 
Christ's  sufferings  as  the  Eedeemer  is  very 
beautiful.  There  is  a  picture  by  Domenichino 
which  represents  the  scene  on  Calvary,  on  the 
evening  after  the  Saviour's  body  had  been  taken 
down  and  laid  in  the  grave.  The  cross  is  empty. 
An  angel  stands  beside  the  crown  of  thorns  which 
lies  there,  feeling  with  the  point  of  his  finger  one 
of  the  sharp  points.  His  face  wears  a  look  of 
mystery  and  wonder.  He  is  trying  to  find  out 
the  meaning  of  suffering.  Angels  in  heaven  know 
nothing  by  experience  of  pain.  The  artist's 
thought  is  that  to  this  angel  the  sufferings  of 
Christ  were  a  great  mystery  which  he  was  try- 
18 


274     THE  HEAVENLY  INHERITANCE 

ing  to  understand.  The  same  thonght  is  sug- 
gested in  the  words,  ''Which  things  angels  de- 
sire to  look  into."  Surely  it  is  worth  while  to 
give  thought  and  attention  to  the  great  and  won- 
derful things  of  Christ,  since  even  the  highest 
angels  find  in  them  mystery  worthy  of  their  deep- 
est study.  Nothing  else  in  all  the  ranks  of  knowl- 
edge is  so  worthy  of  our  deepest  study  and  most 
diligent  research  and  investigation  as  is  the  glori- 
ous gospel  of  the  blessed  God. 


CHAPTER  XLin 

SALUTARY    WARNINGS 

Read  I  Peter  IV:  1-8 

It  was  not  easy  for  Christ  to  be  our  Redeemer. 
He  was  in  this  world  as  the  Captain  of  our  sal- 
vation, and  His  work  here  was  a  conflict.  He 
came  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil.  He  met 
sin  and  sin's  influences  everywhere.  It  was  not 
easy  for  Him  to  fight  the  battle.  He  resisted 
unto  blood,  striving  against  sin.  He  went  to  the 
cross  for  us,  bearing  our  sin.  We  are  His  fol- 
lowers, and  should  be  inspired  by  His  example — 
should  arm  ourselves  with  the  same  mind.  Jesus 
taught  that  not  only  He  must  bear  His  cross,  but 
that  everyone  that  would  follow  Him  must  like- 
wise take  up  the  cross.  He  taught  that  the  only 
way  to  save  one's  life  is  to  lose  it,  to  hate  it,  to 
be  ready  to  sacrifice  it.  "We  never  can  get  through 
life  victoriously  unless  we  fight.  The  armour  we 
need  is  not  something  to  put  on  outside,  but  a 
holy  heart  and  mind  within.  That  was  Christ's 
armour  as  He  went  through  life.  He  had  no 
helmet  of  brass,  no  sword  of  steel;  His  holy  pur- 
pose was  His  armour,  and  He  was  victorious. 
If  we  have  a  pure  heart  and  a  holy  life,  the  world 

275 


276  SALUTARY  WARNINGS 

will  have  no  power  over  us.  The  best  armour 
is  the  armour  of  the  soul. 

We  are  not  to  understand  that  the  Christian 
who  has  died  with  Christ  on  His  cross  shall  never 
sin  any  more,  but  that  he  has  given  up  his  sins, 
repented  of  them,  and  renounced  them.  He  used 
to  make  the  sins  part  of  the  aim  of  his  life.  He 
loved  them ;  his  heart  ran  to  them  greedily.  Now 
he  is  a  Christian,  he  has  taken  Christ  as  his 
Saviour,  he  has  found  mercy.  Hence  he  gives 
up  the  sins  which  he  used  to  commit.  Instead 
of  following  the  devices  and  desires  of  his  own 
evil  heart,  he  lives  now  according  to  the  will  of 
God.  This  is  the  way  every  Christian  should 
live.  We  should  crucify  the  flesh — the  old  evil 
things,  and  let  Christ  live  in  us.  This  is  the 
change  that  Christ  works  in  every  life  that  is 
given  to  Him.    That  is  what  the  new  birth  means. 

There  is  an  old  legend  of  an  instrument  which 
hung  upon  a  castle  wall.  Its  strings  were  broken 
and  it  was  filled  with  dust.  No  one  understood 
it,  and  no  one  could  put  it  in  order.  But  one 
day  a  stranger  came  to  the  castle.  He  saw  the 
instrument  on  the  wall.  Taking  it  down,  he 
quickly  brushed  the  webs  of  dust  from  it,  and 
with  gentle  hand  reset  the  broken  strings  and 
began  to  play  upon  it.  The  chords  long  silent 
awoke,  beneath  his  touch,  and  the  castle  was  filled 
with  rich  music.  Every  human  life,  in  its  un- 
renewed state,  is  such  a  harp,  with  broken  strings, 
tarnished  by  sin.     It  is  capable  of  giving  forth 


I  PETER  IV :  1-8  277 

music  marvelously  rich  and  sweet,  but  first  it 
must  be  restored,  and  the  only  one  who  can  do 
this  is  the  maker  of  the  harp,  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  Only  He  can  bring  the  jangled  chords 
of  our  life  into  tune,  so  that  when  played  upon 
they  shall  give  forth  sweet  music.  If  we  would 
make  our  lives  beautiful,  we  must  surrender  them 
into  the  hands  of  Him  who  alone  can  repair  and 
restore  them. 

Not  a  moment  of  life  should  ever  be  given 
up  to  sin.  Life  is  too  precious  to  be  stained 
and  wasted  in  evil.  Those  who  are  thus  throw- 
ing away  their  life  should  instantly  abandon  all 
that  is  wrong,  and  turn  to  God  and  to  the  life  to 
which  He  invites  them.  The  time  past  which 
has  been  spent  in  sin  is  surely  enough  for  such 
a  ruinous  waste.  Few  things  are  sadder  than 
the  story  of  one  who  lives  in  sin  all  his  days  and 
then,  at  the  last,  creeps  back  to  God's  feet  to 
find  mercy.  One  such,  lying  in  a  hospital,  and 
near  unto  death,  was  very  happy,  for  he  had 
found  Christ  and  had  the  assurance  of  eternal 
life.  A  friend  said  to  him,  "You  are  not  afraid 
to  die?"  *'No,"  answered  the  man,  "but  I  am 
ashamed  to  die."  He  was  ashamed  because  he 
had  nothing  to  bring  to  God  but  a.  wasted  life — 
forgiven  at  last,  but  of  no  service  in  the  world. 

The  words  used  in  the  third  verse,  which  de- 
scribe the  life  of  wickedness,  are  black  with  shame. 
We  turn  away  from  them  with  loathing,  if  we  are 
walking  in  Christ's  way.    But  we  must  not  for- 


2Y8  SALUTAEY  WARNINGS 

get  that  these  very  words  describe  what  is  going 
on  continually  in  thousands  of  places.  Modern 
natural  life  is  no  better  than  was  the  natural 
life  of  men  nineteen  hundred  years  ago.  This 
is  the  end  to  which  sin  leads.  "We  need  not  go 
to  the  slums  to  find  this  picture  realized;  we  can 
find  it  in  many  places  which  are  regarded  as 
respectable  and  high-toned.  The  encouraging 
note  in  this  sad  verse  is  that  the  evil  things  he 
named  were  things  of  the  past  of  those  to  whom 
Peter  wrote.  The  gospel  of  Christ  saves  men. 
It  turns  men's  Sodoms  into  Edens. 

Those  who  find  their  pleasures  in  sin's  low, 
debasing  ways  cannot  understand  the  secret  of  the 
Christian's  joy.  They  think  it  must  be  drearj^  and 
dismal  to  be  a  Christian.  They  cannot  conceive 
of  any  happiness  in  the  life  which  turns  away 
from  sinful  indulgences,  which  restrains  appetites 
and  passions,  which  curbs  the  natural  desires.  To 
them  it  seems  impossible  that  there  should  be 
any  real  joy  in  living  a  holy  life,  in  walking  with 
God,  in  prayer  and  Bible  reading  and  hymn  sing- 
ing or  in  Christian  work  and  fellowship.  The 
blessedness  of  the  Christian  life  is  all  a  mystery 
to  those  who  know  only  this  world's  life,  and 
find  their  pleasures  in  lust  or  passion.  A  prayer 
meeting  would  be  to  them  intolerably  dreary,  be- 
cause they  know  not  God  and  have  no  fellowship 
with  Him. 

It  is  not  only  in  this  world  that  the  superiority 
of  the  Christian's  position  is  seen;  the  world  to 


I  PETER  IV :  1-8  270 

come  will  also  reveal  this.  This  world  does  not 
mean  the  end  of  life;  it  goes  on  into  the  unseen 
future,  and  things  begun  here  are  finished  there. 
We  are  sowing  now,  and  there  will  be  a  harvest 
by  and  by,  when  we  shall  reap  there  what  we 
have  sown.  Those  who  sow  in  the  flesh  shall  of 
the  flesh  reap  corruption.  Those  who  live  in  un- 
restrained lust  and  unbridled  passion  must  give 
account  to  God. 

They  are  without  excuse,  for  the  gospel  was 
preached  ''even  to  the  dead."  Some  people 
trouble  themselves  about  the  heathen  who  have 
died  without  hearing  the  gospel.  But  we  may 
safelj^  leave  them  in  God's  hands.  We  need  never 
fear  that  He  will  be  unjust  to  any  soul  He  has 
made.  ''Shall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do 
right!"  We  need  not  fret  ourselves  over  any 
such  questions.  Our  only  care  need  be  that  we 
who  have  the  gospel  shall  live  worthily  of  the 
gospel.  We,  too,  shall  have  to  give  an  account 
of  our  privileges  and  how  we  have  used  them. 
We  must  remember,  too,  that  to  whom  much  is 
given  of  the  same  shall  it  be  required. 

In  view  of  the  eternity  on  whose  edge  we  are 
living  all  the  while,  we  should  walk  thoughtfully 
and  prayerfully.  We  do  not  know  when  the  end 
of  this  life  for  us  may  be.  This  should  not  sadden 
us  and  spoil  this  world  for  us — that  is-  not  the 
way  God  wants  us  to  be  affected  by  thoughts  of 
eternity.  But  we  should  look  at  life  seriously 
and  learn  to  live  earnestly.    If  any  day  may  be 


280  SALUTARY  WARNINGS 

OTir  last,  we  should  make  every  day  beautiful 
enough  and  complete  enough  to  be  a  fitting  last 
day.  We  should  leave  none  of  its  duties  undone, 
none  of  its  tasks  unfinished.  We  should  live  un- 
selfishly and  kindly,  so  as  to  leave  no  pain  or 
bitterness  in  any  heart.  Then,  we  should  live 
in  constant  communion  with  God — a  life  of  prayer. 
We  need  God  at  every  point,  at  every  step,  and 
no  day  can  be  beautiful  or  complete  without 
its  portion  of  divine  help.  A  day  without  prayer 
is  never  a  good  day. 

Above  all  things,  we  must  be  loving.  Love  is 
always  the  most  important  thing.  One  may  be 
honest  and  truthful  and  just  and  upright  and 
diligent  and  sound  in  the  faith,  and  yet  if  he 
has  not  love  his  life  shows  a  great  lack.  Paul  tells 
us  this  in  the  wonderful  thirteenth  chapter  of 
Corinthians.  Christians  should  be  affectionate 
among  themselves.  Jesus  said,  ''By  this  shall 
all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have 
love  one  to  another."  Love  makes  us  patient 
the  one  with  the  other.  We  all  have  our  faults — 
our  friends  have  their  faults — but  if  we  love  them 
we  do  not  see  their  faults.  We  overlook  the  things 
that  are  not  beautiful,  and  see  them  as  Christ 
sees  them. 


CHAPTER  XLIV 

SIN  AND  SALVATION 

Read  I  John  1: 5  to  II:  6 

Everyone  has  a  message  from  God  to  announce 
to  men.  Jolm  had  heard  Christ  speak  in  human 
words.  Christ  had  come  from  the  Father  with 
a  message  to  the  world.  His  message  was  the 
announcement  of  G-od's  love,  and  of  God's  desire 
to  save  His  lost  children.  Christ  delivered  His 
message — He  went  everywhere  and  told  it.  But 
especially  did  He  announce  it  to  His  disciples. 
For  three  years  they  lived  with  Him  and  wit- 
nessed His  works.  Then,  among  the  disciples, 
John  had  the  closest  place.  He  lived  near  the 
heart  of  Jesus  all  those  three  years;  he  leaned 
on  the  bosom  of  Jesus,  and  heard  even  His  faint- 
est whispers.  In  a  very  special  way,  therefore, 
had  John  learned  the  lesson  which  Christ  had 
come  to  announce.  He  was  well  prepared  to  go 
out  and  deliver  his  message. 

It  is  the  duty  of  every  one  of  us  to  go  with 
our  message  from  God  to  others.  Everyone  who 
lives  near  Christ  must  hear  the  whispered  word 
which  he  is  to  repeat.  We  should  be  ready  to 
tell  our  message  wherever  we  go.    It  should  so 

281 


282  SIN  AND  SALVATION 

bum  in  our  heart  that  we  cannot  help  telling  it — 
this  message  of  God's  wonderful  love.  A  min- 
ister once  climbed  the  stairs  to  a  miserable  garret 
to  see  a  sick  boy  who  did  not  know  Christ.  Bend- 
ing over  him,  he  said,  ''My  boy,  God  loves  you — 
God  loves  you, ' '  and  hurried  from  the  room.  The 
boy  was  startled  by  the  sudden  appearing  and 
vanishing  again  of  the  stranger,  but  he  could 
not  forget  the  message.  It  crept  into  his  heart 
and  stayed  there,  and  changed  all  his  life.  We 
should  deliver  our  message  in  burning  words  in 
every  ear. 

John's  message  was,  "God  is  light."  Light 
stands  for  everything  that  is  beautiful  and  good. 
It  is  pure — God  is  holy.  ' '  In  him  is  no  darkness 
at  all."  Light  is  life-giving.  All  the  life  in  the 
world  is  wooed  out  and  nourished  by  the  light 
of  the  sun.  A  friend  asked  Tennyson  once, 
"What  is  Jesus  Christ  to  you?"  They  were 
walking  in  the  garden  at  the  time,  and,  pointing 
to  a  rosebush,  full  of  blooming  roses,  Tennyson 
said,  "What  the  sun  is  to  this  bush,  Jesus  Christ 
is  to  me."  As  we  open  our  heart  and  life  to 
Christ,  who  is  the  revealing  of  the  love  of  God, 
the  life-giving  influence  spreads  everywhere'  and 
we  grow  into  whatsoever  things  are  lovely,  what- 
soever things  are  pure.  Again,  light  reVeals, 
makes  manifest.  In  the  darkness  of  the  night 
we  see  nothing;  but  when  the  sun  rises,  all  the 
beauty  about  us  is  manifested.  A  man  sleeps 
on  a  mountain  top,  and  all  is  blackneiss  about  him. 


IJ0HNI:5  TO  11:6  283 

The  morning  dawns,  and  the  glorious  splendours 
of  nature  burst  on  liis  view.  One  miglit  walk 
through  a  great  art  gallery  at  night  and  he  would 
not  behold  anything.  At  length,  however,  the 
day  breaks,  and  he  finds  himself  in  the  midst  of 
the  loveliest  creations.  They  were  there  before, 
but  were  invisible  to  him  before  the  light  re- 
vealed them.  So  the  light  of  God  makes  all  things 
visible  to  us. 

It  is  an  impossibility  to  have  fellowship  with 
God  if  we  are  walking  in  darkness.  Moral  dark- 
ness is  sinfulness.  It  is  the  reverse  of  light  and 
righteousness.  The  only  way  to  have  fellowship 
with  God  is  to  be  like  God,  to  love  what  He  loves 
and  hate  what  He  hates.  If  one  professes  to  be 
God's  child,  Christ's  follower,  and  meanwhile 
lives  an  evil  life,  it  is  evident  that  he  is  self- 
deceived,  or  else  is  a  hypocrite.  ''Why  call  ye 
me,  Lord,  Lord,  and  do  not  the  things  which  I 
say?"  asked  the  Master.  Jesus  said  of  His  own 
life, ' '  The  Father  .  .  .  hath  not  left  me  alone ; 
for  I  do  always  the  things  that  are  pleasing  to 
him. ' '  The  secret  of  the  fellowship  of  Jesus  with 
the  Father  was  unfailing  obedience.  We  must  do 
the  things  that  are  pleasing  to  God  if  we  would 
have  fellowship  with  Him.  There  is  no  way  of 
being  nearer  to  God,  and  abiding  in  His  love,  save 
by  keeping  His  commandments. 

There  can  be  neither  fellowship  together  nor 
cleansing,  unless  we  walk  in  the  light;  that  is, 
unless  we  are  following  Christ.    Sin  has  no  true 


284  SIN  AND  SALVATION 

fellowship.    It  may  have  its  compacts  and  cove- 
nants  for   evil   ends.     Pilate   and   Herod   were 
made  friends  the  day  Jesus  was  condemned,  but 
it  was  only  a  bond  of  sand  which  united  them. 
Their  fellowship  was   only  partnership   in  )the 
darkest  crime  of  the  ages.     There  may  be  com- 
panionship in  wrongdoing,  but  there  can  be  no 
heart-union.      The    only    real    and    indissoluble 
friendship  is  that  in  which  both  are  in  friend- 
ship with   Christ.     Christian   fellowship  is   the 
only  union  of  hearts  and  lives  possible  in  this 
world.     Thrice   sacred  is  marriage   when,  both 
parties  kneel  together  in  prayer,  sit  together  at 
the  Lord's  table,  and  unite  in  love  for  Christ. 
Cleansing  from  sin  is  likewise  dependent  upon 
walking  in  the  light.     So  long  as  one  continues 
to  walk  in  the  filth  of  sin,  one  cannot  be  made 
clean.     A  man  must  leave  the  gutter  and  walk 
in  dry,  clean  paths  if  he  would  have  feet  unde- 
filed.    There  can  be  no  cleansing  from  sin  while 
we  continue  living  in  sin.    It  is  only  the  forsaken 
sin  that  is  a  forgiven  sin.    It  is  interesting,  too, 
to  note  closely  the  words  used  here.     It  is  the 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  that  cleanseth.     How  can 
blood  cleanse?    In  a  way  we  cannot  understand, 
the  dying  of  Christ  was  the  atonement  for  sin. 
"We  are  forgiven  because  Jesus  bore  our  sin.    He 
was  the  Lamb  of  God  that  bore  the  sin  of  the 
world.      ''In    whom    we    have    our    redemption 
through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  our  tres- 
passes. ' '    The  word  ' '  cleanseth ' '  is  present  tense, 


IJ0HNI:5  TO  11:6  285 

and  tells  of  continuous  cleansing.  If  we  are  walk- 
ing in  the  light  our  sins  are  forgiven  as  soon  as 
they  are  committed,  and  our  nature  is  made  clean 
and  kept  clean  as  we  go  along. 

No  one  can  get  off  on  the  plea  that  he  has 
no  sin.  There  is  no  man  that  sinneth  not.  What, 
then,  can  we  do,  since  heaven  is  only  for  the 
pure?  Here  is  the  answer:  we  can  have  our  sins, 
all  our  sins,  forgiven.  God's  forgiveness  puts 
away  not  only  the  guilt  of  sin,  but  the  sin  itself. 
Notice  that  we  must  confess  our  sins  if  we  would 
have  them  forgiven.  Unconfessed  sin  is  unfor- 
given  sin.  But  why  must  we  confess?  Does  not 
God  know  that  we  are  sorry?  Why  need  we  tell 
Him  that  we  are?  Blessing  lies  in  our  opening 
our  heart  to  God,  in  our  recognition  of  our  rela- 
tion to  Him,  and  of  His  authority  over  us.  Sins 
hidden  and  unconfessed  are  full  of  curse.  They 
smoulder  like  the  fires  in  the  heart  of  a  volcano. 
Sins  confessed  and  put  away  have  lost  their  power 
to  hurt  the  life.  '^He  that  covereth  his  trans- 
gressions shall  not  prosper;  but  whoso  confesseth 
and  forsaketh  them  shall  obtain  mercy." 

We  ought  to  try  not  to  sin.  "Little  children 
.  .  .  write  I  unto  you  that  ye  may  not  sin. ' '  We 
ought  to  live  a  holy  and  good  life.  But  the  best 
of  us,  with  the  most  diligent  care,  sin,  for  we 
are  all  weak  and  human,  and  surely  sometimes 
fall  into  unintended  sins.  Is  there  any  hope  for 
us  if  we  do?  Yes;  we  have  an  Advocate,  One 
who  stands  for  us  before  God  to  plead  our  cause. 


286  SIN  AND  SALVATION 

to  make  intercession  for  ns.  He  has  a  right  to 
speak  for  us,  for  He  is  holy  and  sinless.  Be- 
sides, He  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins — He  died 
for  us.  What,  then,  should  we  do  when  we  have 
stumbled  into  some  sin?  Should  we  despair  and 
give  all  up,  and  say  there  is  on  use  in  our  trying 
to  go  on?  No;  we  should  flee  at  once  to  our 
Advocate  land  beseech  Him  to  plead  for  us,  that 
we  may  be  forgiven.  His  intercession  the  Father 
always  hears.  If  we  would  live  thus,  although 
we  may  sin  many  times  along  the  way,  our  sins 
shall  at  once  be  forgiven,  and  we  shall  be  re- 
stored and  ever  kept  in  unbroken  fellowship  with 
God. 

We  must  never  get  the  impression  that  we  can 
sin  with  impunity  because  we  are  saved  by  grace 
and  not  by  our  own  good  works,  or  because  God 
is  so  merciful  and  forgives  so  readily.  Nothing 
is  taught  in  the  Word  of  God  more  clearly  than 
that  faith  in  Christ  always  implies  surrender  to 
Christ  and  obedience  to  His  commands.  There 
is  no  true  faith  without  obedience.  This  is  made 
very  plain  in  this  verse — ^he  who  claims  to  know 
God  and  yet  does  not  keep  God's  commandments 
is  a  liar.  In  the  ancient  cathedral  of  Lubeck, 
Germany,  there  is  an  old  slab,  with  the  following 
inscription : 

"Thus  speaketh  Christ  our  Lord  to  us: 
Ye  call  me  Master,  and  obey  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Light,  and  see  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Way,  and  walk  me  not; 


IJ0HNI:5  TO  11:6  287 

Ye  call  me  Life,  and  desire  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Wise,  and  follow  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Fair,  and  love  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Rich,  and  ask  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Eternal,  and  seek  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Gracious,  and  trust  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Noble,  and  serve  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Mighty,  and  honour  me  not; 
Ye  call  me  Just,  and  fear  me  not; 
If  I  condemn  you,  blame  me  not." 


CHAPTER  XLV 

god's  love  iisr  the  gift  of  his  son 

Bead  I  John  IV :  9-16 

One  reason  why  Christians  should  love  one  an- 
other is  because  God  would  have  them  interpret 
His  love  to  the  world,  and  this  they  can  do  only 
by  love.  Anything  unloving  is  not  of  God.  "We 
ought  to  think  of  this — that  it  is  our  mission  to 
let  the  world  know  what  God  is  like.  A  great 
many  people  do  not  know  God,  do  not  know  what 
His  character  is.  We  know  Him  and  we  are 
to  make  Him  known  to  others.  This  we  cannot 
do  merely  by  telling  them  about  God.  The  Bible 
is  full  of  revealings  of  God,  but  it  is  not  enough 
for  us  to  read  the  Bible  to  people.  It  does  little 
good  for  us  to  quote  texts  which  tell  of  God's 
g'oodness,  kindness  and  holiness,  if  we  cannot 
show  the  goodness,  kindness  and  holiness  in  our 
own  life.  The  only  Bible  we  can  really  get 
others  to  read  is  the  one  written  in  our  own 
conduct,  disposition  and  character.  People  must 
see  God's  love  in  us.  When  Mr.  McAll  went 
to  Paris  to  begin  his  mission  work,  he  knew  only 
a  few  words  of  French.  All  he  could  say  was, 
*'God  loves  you,  and  I  love  you."    His  message 

288 


I  JOHN  IV :  9-16  289 

was  that  God  loved  the  people  to  whom  he  was 
speaking,  but  this  would  not  have  been  listened 
to  by  them  if  they  had  not  seen  the  love  also 
in  the  preacher.  That  is,  the  love  of  God  was 
interpreted  to  them  in  himself.  We  must  give 
the  same  interpretation. 

There  is  no  other  love  like  God's.  There  has 
always  been  love  in  the  world.  Mothers  have 
always  loved  their  children.  There  have  always 
been  tender  home  affections.  Men  have  always 
loved  their  country.  But  these  are  only  little 
fragments  of  love,  imperfect  and  faulty  at  best. 
The  great  fountain  and  center  of  all  love  is  God's 
love.  It  is  to  all  other  love  as  the  sun  is  to  all 
earth's  little  lights.  God's  love  is  love  that  does 
not  depend  on  love  to  draw  it  out.  God  does 
not  love  us  because  we  love  Him — if  that  were 
true  we  should  never  have  God's  love.  The  mes- 
sage of  the  gospel  is  not  that  we  should  love 
God,  but  that  God  loves  us.  It  makes  a  great 
deal  of  difference  how  we  read  the  words,  which 
love  comes  first.  Our  confidence  is  not  in  our 
love  for  God,  which  is  very  weak,  faulty  and  ever 
changing,  but  in  God's  love  for  us.  This  is  in- 
finite, eternal,  and  never  changes.  Whatever  our 
need  or  feelings  may  be,  we  may  always  be  sure 
that  the  love  of  God  is  everlasting,  the  same  yes- 
terday and  to-day  and  forever. 

''The  Father  hath  sent  the  Son  to  be  the 
Saviour  of  the  world."  We  think  of  the  little 
Child  sleeping  His  first  infancy's  sleep  in  the 

19 


290      GOD 'S  LOVE  IN  GIFT  OF  HIS  SON 

manger,  and  we  hear  the  angel  say,  ''There  is 
bom  to  you  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour, 
who  is  Christ  the  Lord. "  It  is  because  God  loved 
the  world  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son. 

It  is  knowing  and  believing  the  love  of  God 
in  Jesus  Christ  that  saves  us.  It  is  possible  to 
know  it  and  not  believe  it.  To  be  blessed  by  it 
we  must  believe  that  God  loves  us  with  an  indi- 
vidual, personal  love,  and  must  let  His  love  into 
our  hearts.  A  story  is  told  of  a  child  in  Luther's 
day  who  for  the  first  time  heard  and  believed 
this  love.  She  lived  in  a  home  where  only  severe 
thoughts  of  God  were  known.  The  name  of  God 
was  used  to  frighten  the  children.  Every  men- 
tion of  God  made  the  child  tremble.  She  had 
learned  to  think  of  Him  as  her  enemy,  watching 
her  to  punish  her.  One  day  she  found  on  the 
floor  of  her  father's  printing  office  a  piece  of  torn 
paper  with  some  words  printed  on  it.  Picking 
it  up,  she  began  to  read,  *'God  so  loved  the  world, 
that  he  gave — "  it  was  torn  off  here.  She  did 
not  know  what  followed.  But  the  thought  that 
God  loved  was  an  altogether  new  one  for  her. 
If  He  loved  the  world  He  could  not  be  such  a 
terrible  God  as  she  had  been  taught  to  believe 
Him  to  be.  ''God  so  loved  the  world  that  he 
gave — "  her  paper  said.  What  He  gave  she  did 
not  know,  but  if  He  loved  enough  to  give  any- 
thing He  must  be  a  kind  and  good  God.  So  her 
thought  ran  on  until,  by  and  by,  a  new  conception 
of  God  had  taken  possession  of  her  heart.    With 


IJOHNIV:9-16  291 

nothing  more  than  this  little  fragment  of  a  verse 
she  had  received  a  great  truth,  and  the  thought 
of  God  had  become  a  wonderful  blessing  to  her. 
She  knew  and  believed  the  love  that  God  had 
for  her,  and  it  saved  her.  This  is  the  lesson  all 
of  us  need  to  learn  afresh. 


CHAPTER  XLVI 

JESUS  APPEAES  TO   JOHN 

Read  Rev.  I:-9-20 

He  appears  here  to  John  in  his  banishment  and 
reveals  to  him  many  things  which  John  was  to 
write  and  send  to  the  churches.  The  writer 
identifies  himself  with  the  Christians  to  whom 
he  sends  the  messages — ''Your  brother  and  par- 
taker with  you  in  the  tribulation  and  kingdom  and 
patience  which  are  in  Jesus."  It  is  remarkable 
that  in  all  the  Gospel  of  John  the  writer's  name  is 
not  once  mentioned.  He  hides  himself  away  and 
exalts  and  honours  only  the  one  Name.  Here, 
however,  he  writes  in  his  own  name.  The  reason 
for  this  difference  may  be  that  now  John  is  speak- 
ing as  the  prophet  of  Christ  and  delivering  the 
messages  which  have  been  intrusted  to  him.  It 
was  proper,  therefore,  that  he  should  declare  who 
he  was,  that  the  witness  might  be  received  with 
the  more  confidence  by  his  friends.  The  words 
** brother"  and  "partaker  with  you"  show  John's 
love  for  his  fellow  Christians.  He  was  one  of 
them.  He  was  their  companion  in  the  tribulation 
of  persecution — this  drew  him  and  them  close  to- 
gether.    The   word   "patience"   has   in   it  the 

292 


REVELATION  1 : 9-20  293 

thought  of  suffering  which  is  endured  sweetly 
and  victoriously. 

John  refers  to  his  own  sufferings,  not  to  plead 
for  pity  or  sympathy  for  himself,  but  to  honour 
Christ.  It  was  *'for  the  word  of  God  and  the 
testimony  of  Jesus"  that  he  had  been  banished 
to  the  Isle  of  Patmos.  It  is  an  honour  to  be  a 
sufferer  in  a  worthy  cause.  Saint  Paul  spoke  of 
the  scars  and  other  traces  of  trials  endured  as  a 
Christian  as  ''marks  of  Jesus." 

In  the  narrative  of  his  vision,  John  begins 
by  saying  that  he  was  ''in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's 
day. ' '  Here  we  have  one  of  the  proofs  that  very 
earl}^  the  first  believers  began  to  observe  the 
first  day  of  the  week,  the  day  of  Christ's  resur- 
rection, rather  than  the  Jewish  Sabbath.  Though 
far  away  from  the  worshiping  assemblies  of  his 
fellow  Christians,  John  was  in  the  Spirit  on  that 
sacred  day.  We  should  all  seek  to  be  in  the  Spirit 
on  the  Lord's  Day.  During  the  week  our  hands 
are  full  of  work  that  must  be  done.  Unless  we 
are  watchful,  the  world  is  apt  then  to  get  into 
our  heart  and  we  are  apt  to  become  secularized 
in  spirit,  made  worldly-minded,  losing  all  interest 
in  spiritual  things.  The  trouble  is  not  that  we 
are  in  the  world,  but  that  the  world  too  often 
gets  into  us.  It  is  a  proper  enough  thing  for 
a  ship  to  be  in  the  sea,  but  when  the  sea  gets 
into  the  ship  there  is  an  end  to  sailing.  Christ 
wants  us  to  be  in  the  world,  but  He  does  not 
want  the  world  to  get  into  us. 


294    JESUS  APPEARS  TO  JOHN 

On  the  Lord's  Day,  therefore,  we  should  run 
our  bark  just  as  completely  as  possible  out  of 
the  world's  troubled  waters  into  the  peaceful  bay 
of  spiritual  rest  and  enjoyment.  A  well-spent 
Sabbath  will  keep  up  the  tone  of  the  life  amid 
the  most  intense  pressure  of  week-day  care. 

The  revelation  of  John  came  in  a  vision.  He 
saw  a  cluster  of  lamps.  *'I  saw  seven  golden 
candlesticks."  Christian  churches  should  be  like 
candlesticks.  A  candlestick  itself  gives  no  light, 
but  it  holds  the  candle  from  which  the  light  pours 
forth.  Christ  Himself  is  the  light,  but  the  light 
can  shine  in  this  world  only  in  the  lives  of  His 
followers.  Every  Christian  should  be  a  light 
shining  before  men.  If  we  live  worthily  we  make 
the  world  a  little  brighter.  If  we  live  carelessly 
or  inconsistently,  we  disappoint  Christ.  We  must 
notice  that  the  light  that  shines  in  these  churches 
all  comes  from  Christ,  who  is  '4n  the  midst  of 
the"  seven  golden  '^ candlesticks."  We  can  shine 
only  by  letting  Christ's  light  pour  through  us. 

John  describes  also  the  vision  of  Christ  as 
He  appeared  that  day  in  the  midst  of  the  golden 
candlesticks.  ''His  head  and  his  hair  were  white 
as  white  wool,  .  .  .  his  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of 
fire."  The  words  describe  the  glorified  Christ. 
When  He  was  on  the  earth  there  was  no  bright- 
ness in  His  face  as  men  saw  Him.  Once  only, 
when  He  was  transfigured,  did  the  glory  appear 
for  an  hour.  Now,  however,  in  heaven,  all  the 
brightness  shines  out  unrestricted.     The  vision 


EEVELATION  1 :  9-20  295 

of  John  gives  us  a  glimpse  of  Christ  as  we  shall 
see  Him  when  He  comes  with  clouds. 

One  part  of  this  vision  of  Christ  represented 
His  power.  ''He  had  in  his  right  hand  seven 
stars."  The  seven  stars  represent  the  ministers 
of  Christ  on  the  earth.  ''The  seven  stars  are  the 
angels  of  the  seven  churches."  As  Christ  held 
the  stars  in  His  hand,  so  He  keeps  in  His  hand 
the  ministers  who  on  the  earth  witness  for  Him 
and  serve  Him.  He  keeps  them  in  His  care,  under 
His  protection. 

Another  thing  in  this  vision  suggests  the 
power  of  the  living  word  of  Christ.  "Out  of  his 
mouth  proceeded  a  sharp  two-edged  sword. ' '  The 
picture  seems  strange  at  first — a  sword  proceed- 
ing out  of  the  mouth.  The  teaching  is  that 
Christ's  weapon  in  the  conquest  of  the  world  is 
His  Word,  "the  sword  of  the  Spirit."  He  sets 
up  no  kingdoms  like  the  kingdom  of  this  world, 
with  pomp  and  pageant,  with  armies  and  navies. 
He  rules  men's  lives,  and  the  sword  He  wields  is 
His  Word.  The  sword  is  sharp  and  two-edged. 
It  cuts  deep.  It  reveals  sin  and  all  lust  in  the 
heart.  We  should  learn  to  use  the  Word  of  God 
with  confidence  in  all  our  conflicts  with  sin  and 
in  all  our  efforts  to  advance  Christ's  kingdom. 

The  effect  of  this  vision  upon  John  was  over- 
whelming. He  fell  at  the  feet  of  Christ  as  one 
dead.  With  infinite  gentleness  Jesus  came  then 
and  touched  him  with  His  right  hand,  bidding 
him  "Fear  not;  I  am  the  first  and  the  last,  and  the 


296  JESUS  APPEAES  TO  JOHN 

Living  one;  and  I  was  dead,  and  beh'old,  I  am 
alive  for  evermore."  Here  we  see  Jesus  away 
beyond  death,  and  His  life  has  not  been  harmed 
by  dying.  None  of  His  glory  was  quenched  by 
death's  floods.  He  still  lives  and  has  all  the  grace, 
gentleness  and  love  that  He  had  before.  Neither 
does  death  injure  our  friends  who  die  in  Christ. 
It  robs  the  believer  of  no  beauty.  Indeed,  in 
this  world  life  at  the  best  is  only  like  an  opening 
bud;  in  dying,  the  bud  opens  into  the  full-blown 
rose. 

Not  only  is  Christ  Himself  beyond  death  and 
its  power,  but  He  is  the  ''Living  one" — 1:hat  is, 
the  only  one  who  really  lives,  having  life  in  Him- 
self. He  is  the  great  fountain  and  source  of  all 
life.  Besides,  He  has  power  over  all  the  realm 
of  death.  "I  have  the  keys  of  death  and  of 
Hades."  Keys  are  the  symbols  of  authority. 
Christ  can  open  the  doors  of  earth's  prison- 
houses  when  He  will  and  bring  out  His  people 
who  are  under  death's  power.  He  Himself  lay 
in  the  grave  and  then  arose  and  came  forth.  In 
like  manner,  in  His  own  time  He  will  call  up  all 
who  sleep  in  Him.  "If  we  believe  that  Jesus 
died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them  also  that  are 
fallen  asleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him." 

Another  thought  suggested  by  Christ  with  the 
keys  of  death  in  His  hand  is,  that  He  is  the  Guide 
of  His  people  now  in  this  lonely  walk  through 
the  valley  of  death.  He  knows  the  way  by  experi- 
ence and  thus  is  prepared  to  conduct  us  over  it. 


CHAPTER  XLVII 

WOESHIPING  GOD  AND  THE  LAMB 

Read  Rev.  V 

John  describes  his  vision  most  vividly.  "I  saw 
in  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the  throne 
a  book  written  within  and  on  the  back."  We 
may  study  this  picture  with  great  profit.  The 
book  is  the  scroll  of  the  divine  purposes — this 
much,  at  least,  we  know  tabout  it.  As  we  look 
at  it  we  learn  that  God  has  purposes  for  His 
Church,  and  knows  what  the  future  will  be,  down 
through  all  the  ages  to  the  end.  This  ought  to 
be  a  great  comfort  to  us,  especially  when  we 
are  disposed  to  be  anxious  or  discouraged  con- 
cerning the  progress  of  Christ's  kingdom.  God 
is  never  taken  by  surprise.  He  knew  all  from 
the  beginning.  The  world  is  not  run  by  chance. 
God's  plans  are  never  defeated.  In  all  that  to 
us  seems  confusion  His  eye  sees  at  all  times  order. 
Even  the  wrath  of  man  He  makes  to  praise  Him, 
and  the  remainder  thereof  He  restrains.  The 
fact  that  this  roll  was  written  on  both  sides,  and 
was  entirely  filled,  shows  that  no  part  of  the 
future  was  left  in  uncertainty,  or  unplanned  for; 
also  that  no  other  than  God  has  to  do  with  the 

297 


298    WORSHIPING  GOD  AND  THE  LAMB 

direction  of  the  world's  affairs.  When  we  re- 
member that  it  is  our  Father  whose  purposes 
are  being  wrought  out  in  the  troubled  history  of 
this  earth,  we  ought  not  to  be  afraid.  His  chil- 
dren are  always  safe  in  His  hands. 

John  explains  that  ''No  one  in  the  heaven,  or 
on  the  earth,  or  under  the  earth,  was  able  to 
open  the  book,  or  to  look  thereon. '*  This  shows 
not  only  that  no  one  can  read  the  future,  but 
also  that  no  one  can  meddle  with  God's  pur- 
poses and  plans.  They  are  in  His  own  hands, 
and  are  hidden  from  all  eyes.  This  truth  should 
also  make  us  very  modest  in  our  efforts  to  in- 
terpret prophecies  and  predictions  concerning 
future  events.  The  book  is  sealed  and  we  can- 
not read  its  contents.  Nothing  is  hidden  from 
us,  however,  that  we  need  to  know  in  order  to 
salvation  or  in  order  to  duty ;  but  there  are  great 
events  in  the  future  clearly  foretold  as  to  the 
fact  that  they  will  occur,  but  not  foretold  as  to 
the  time  and  manner  of  their  occurrence.  Is  it 
the  part  of  wise  and  loving  faith  to  try  to  open 
that  which  lies  in  God's  hands  sealed?  There 
is  also  a  very  practical  suggestion  here.  The 
scroll  of  each  individual  life  lies  in  God's  hands, 
written  full  to  the  end.  God  knows  it  all  down 
to  the  last  moment.  Each  change,  each  experi- 
ence of  joy  or  sorrow,  each  danger  or  duty — 
is  written  down.  God  knows  all  our  biography 
from  the  beginning  to  the  end.  But  the  book  is 
sealed.    We  cannot  read  its  contents.    We  can- 


REVELATION  V  299 

not  know,  therefore,  what  lies  before  ns  in  the 
days  that  are  to  come.  And  surely  it  is  better 
that  we  should  go  on,  not  knowing,  since  God 
knows,  and  since  He  is  leading  us  step  by  step. 
To  know  of  trials  and  hardships  and  perils  and 
sorrows  would  discourage  us.  To  know  of  com- 
ing defeat  and  failure  would  take  the  nerve  out 
of  our  energy  and  paralyze  our  efforts.  To  know 
of  coming  joys  and  achievements  would  make  us 
vain  and  self-confident.  It  is  a  great  deal  better 
as  it  is,  and  we  should  leave  the  book  sealed  and 
in  the  hands  of  God  while  we  move  quietly  on 
in  the  little  bit  of  path  unsealed  and  unrolled 
to  our  eyes. 

Then  John  had  a  vision  of  Jesus :  ''The  Lion 
that  is  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  .  .  .  And  I  saw  in 
the  midst  of  the  thone  ...  a  Lamb."  John 
was  looking  for  a  Lion  and  he  saw  a  Lamb — a 
little  lamb,  too.  This  strange,  double  picture  of 
Jesus  as  He  appears  in  heaven  is  very  suggestive. 
He  was  a  lion  in  His  conflicts  and  victories,  and 
as  such  overcame  all  His  enemies  and  ours.  But 
He  was  a  lamb  in  the  gentleness  of  His  char- 
acter and  disposition.  The  lamb  is  an  emblem 
of  meekness  and  of  unresisting  obedience  and 
submission.  As  we  think  about  Christ  we  soon 
see  how  true  both  of  these  pictures  are.  Like 
a  lion,  He  has  power  and  majesty,  and  is  terrible 
to  His  enemies,  to  all  who  cower  before  Him. 
As  a  lion  He  met  and  overcame  Satan,  and  tri- 
umphed over  death  and  the  grave.     As  a  lion 


300    WOESHIPING  GOD  AND  THE  LAMB 

He  is  able  to  defend  us  from  all  our  enemies, 
and  the  feeblest  believer  is  safe  under  His  pro- 
tection. He  is  the  omnipotent  God  and  has  all 
power  in  heaven  and  on  earth.  At  the  same  time 
the  other  picture  is  just  as  true.  He  is  like  a 
little  lamb  in  His  gentleness.  The  whole  spirit 
of  His  life  on  earth  shows  this.  Never  was  a 
mother  so  gentle  to  her  children  as  was  Jesus 
to  the  weary,  troubled  and  penitent  ones  that 
came  to  Him.  He  was  lamblike,  too,  in  the  way 
He  endured  wrongs  and  sufferings.  Other  ani- 
mals fight  in  their  own  defense,  but  the  lamb 
does  not  resist.  When  Christ  was  reviled,  He 
reviled  not  again;  when  He  suffered,  He  threat- 
ened not.  And  as  a  lamb  that  is  led  to  the 
slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  that  before  her  shearers 
is  dumb,  so  He  opened  not  His  mouth.  He  is 
the  same  Jesus  now  in  the  midst  of  the  throne, 
and  it  is  this  wonderful  combination  of  strength 
and  gentleness  that  makes  Him  such  a  Saviour. 
In  Him  we  have  the  union  of  all  the  truest 
qualities  of  love  that  our  hearts  so  hunger  for — 
tenderness,  affectionateness,  patience,  sympathy. 
Then,  when  we  have  laid  ourselves  down  to  rest 
in  all  this  blessed  warmth  of  love,  we  look  up 
and  see  that  we  are  in  the  bosom  of  the  Om- 
nipotence. Mere  gentleness  may  be  very  weak — 
but  while  He  is  a  lamb  He  is  also  a  lion.  There 
is  a  story  of  a  cruel  man  who  came  one  day  with 
a  little  dog  in  hands,  which  he  thrust  into  the 
cage  of  a  great  lion  to  see  the  mighty  beast  tear 


REVELATION  V  301 

the  defenseless  creature  to  pieces;  but,  strange 
to  say,  the  lion  did  not  harm  the  terrified  dog, 
but  took  him  under  his  protection  and  became 
his  friend.  He  was  gentle  as  a  lamb  to  him,  and 
all  his  lion  strength  was  used  for  the  sheltering 
and  protecting  of  his  frail  charge.  This  very- 
homely  illustration  will  help  us  to  understand 
the  representation  of  Christ  which  we  have  in 
this  picture. 

The  Lamb  was  ''standing,  as  though  it  had 
been  slain,  having  seven  horns,  and  seven  eyes." 
Here  we  have  three  other  thoughts  about  Christ. 
Not  only  did  He  appear  as  a  lamb,  but  as  a  lamb 
that  had  been  slain.  There  were  wound  marks 
on  Him,  telling  that  once  He  had  been  dead.  One 
suggestion  of  the  emblem  of  the  lamb  is  sacri- 
fice. Lambs  were  offered  as  sacrifices  in  the 
ancient  worship.  Jesus  was  the  Lamb  of  God 
that  took  away  the  sin  of  the  world  by  bearing 
it  Himself.  So  even  in  heaven  Jesus  shows  in 
some  way  that  once  He  suffered  and  died.  Thus 
even  in  glory  the  fact  of  salvation  by  sacrifice 
is  set  forth  to  the  eyes  of  all.  Thus  we  are 
always  to  be  reminded  of  the  cost  of  our  re- 
demption. A  second  suggestion  about  Christ  is 
in  the  representation  of  the  "seven  horns."  The 
horn  in  the  Bible  is  the  symbol  of  strength,  and 
seven  is  the  symbol  of  completeness.  Jesus  ap- 
pears there  as  the  omnipotent  One,  having  all 
power.  The  other  symbol  in  the  picture  is  the 
"seven  eyes,"  which  are  explained  in  the  same 


302    WORSHIPING  GOD  AND  THE  LAMB 

verse  to  mean  the  Holy   Spirit.     An  eye  sees, 

and  seven  eyes  represent  the  perfection  of  vision, 

seeing  everywhere.    The  eyes  of  Christ  are  in  all 

parts    of    the    earth    and    on    all    events.      This 

thought  of  the  omniscience  of  Christ  is  terrible 

to  the  sinner,  but  to  the  Christian  at  peace  with 

God  it  has  great  comfort.     Christ  is  watching 

over  us  and  is  ready  to  fly  to  our  help  and  rescue 

at  any  point.     His  eye  is  terrible  only  to  the 

wicked;  to  those  who  are  His  friends  and  are 

saved  by  Him,  it  gives  no  terror  to  think  of  the 

unsleeping  divine  eye  ever  looking  down  in  love. 

Then    came    a    vision    of    prayers — **  Golden 

bowls  full  of  incense,  which  are  the  prayers  of 

the  saints."     There  is  something  very  beautiful 

in  this  glimpse  of  how  the  prayers  of  the  saints 

on  earth  appear  in  heaven.     They  are  not  lost 

in  the  air,  but  reach  heaven,  and  are  put  into 

bowls  to  be  kept  secure.    The  bowls  are  golden, 

intimating  the  preciousness  of  the  prayers  that 

are  put  into  them.     The  prayers  which  are  put 

into  the  golden  bowls  are  gathered  and  preserved. 

Sometimes  it  is  a  great  while  before  they  are 

answered,  yet  they  are  not  lost  or  forgotten,  but 

are   safely  stored  in  the  golden  bowls.     These 

prayers  are  as  incense,  and  that  shows  how  they 

seem  to  God.     Incense  was  used  in  the  temple 

worship,  and  divine  instruction  was  given  as  to 

its  compounding.    When  the  incense  was  burned 

it  emitted  a  sweet  odour.    The  heart-prayers  of 

earth  are  the  true  incense.    One  writer  suggests 


EEVELATION  V  303 

that  the  three  ingredients  in  the  incense  of  prayer 
are  petition,  confession,  thanksgiving.  Then  di- 
vine fire  falls  upon  it,  and  it  ascends  to  God  and 
is  acceptable  to  Him.  It  is  a  very  sweet  thought 
that  true  prayer  is  as  incense  unto  God.  He 
loves  to  hear  us  pray. 

There  is  more  than  prayer  in  heaven — there 
is  song.  No  old  song,  no  song  of  earth  would 
do,  for  the  world  has  never  before  seen  any  occa- 
sion like  this.  Earth's  songs  are  too  dull,  too 
sad  to  be  sung  where  all  is  gladness  and  joy.  The 
song  of  heaven  will  be  of  Christ,  and  it  will  cele- 
brate the  victory  which  He  won  at  His  death. 
We  shall  join  in  the  song  because  we  owe  to  Christ 
every  joy,  every  blessing  and  hope  of  our  souls. 
Heaven's  singing,  it  may  as  well  be  noticed  here, 
will  be  congregational ;  no  quartet  choir  will  sing 
for  the  people,  but  everyone  may  unite  in  the 
song  of  redemption  for  himself.  The  angels,  too, 
will  join  in  the  chorus,  and  all  the  universe  will 
unite  their  voices  in  the  ascription  of  praise  and 
worship  that  goes  up  to  God  and  the  Lamb. 


CHAPTER  XLVm 

THE    SAINTS   IN   HEAVEN 

Read  Rev.  VII:  9-17 

Some  people  have  the  impression  that  very  few 
will  be  saved,  that  the  lost  will  far  outnumher 
the  redeemed.  The  Bible,  however,  gives  no  such 
impression.  On  the  other  hand,  its  representa- 
tions are  that  immense  numbers  of  the  race  will 
be  saved.  There  are  no  lamentations  in  Scrip- 
ture about  empty  mansions,  or  small  choruses, 
or  thin  ranks  in  the  final  gathering  in  heaven. 
There  is  no  intimation  that  the  Father's  house 
will  not  be  filled,  that  the  prepared  places  will 
not  have  occupants.  Christ's  redemption  will  not 
prove  a  failure;  there  are  repeated  indications 
that  it  will  be  a  glorious  success.  We  believe 
that  all  who  die  in  infancy  will  be  saved,  and 
these  include  nearly  one  half  the  human  race.  In 
every  generation  there  are  millions  who  have  con- 
fessed Christ,  and  doubtless  there  are  always 
great  numbers  of  true  disciples  on  the  earth  of 
whom  none  know  but  God.  As  Christianity 
spreads  over  the  world  we  may  confidently  hope 
that  the  number  of  the  saved  will  be  increased 
every  year.     There  is  no  doubt,  therefore,  that 

804 


EEVELATION  VII :  9-17  305 

the  company  of  the  redeemed  at  last  will  in- 
calculably surpass  the  number  of  the  lost.  Some 
writer  suggests  that  in  the  end  the  number  of 
the  lost  will  not  number  a  larger  proportion  to 
the  saved  than  our  criminals  of  the  present  make 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  country.  John's  picture, 
therefore,  is  suggestive.  The  multitude  was  one 
that  no  man  could  number;  then  it  was  gathered 
out  of  all  nations  and  tribes  and  tongues;  this 
shows  that  the  gospel  is  to  reach  all  the  world, 
and  that  every  land  shall  have  its  quota  in  the 
great  host  of  the  redeemed  at  the  last. 

**I  saw,  and  behold,  a  great  multitude,  which 
no  man  could  number,  out  of  every  nation 
and  of  all  tribes  and  peoples  and  tongues, 
standing  before  the  throne."  The  posture  of 
this  vast  company  was  one  of  high  honour, 
as  well  as  of  great  privilege.  Whatever  heaven 
may  be,  it  seems  clear  that  the  redeemed  shall 
be  near  to  God  and  to  Jesus.  Elsewhere  in 
the  Scriptures  we  learn  the  same  thing.  The 
redeemed  shall  see  Christ  as  He  is;  His  serv- 
ants shall  serve  Him  and  they  shall  see  His 
face.  The  Bible  everywhere  represents  the  re- 
deemed as  dwelling  in  the  very  presence  of  God 
in  heaven.  They  shall  live  always  where  they  can 
have  constant  communion  with  Him  and  where 
they  can  enjoy  forever  the  blessedness  of  His 
love.  Another  thought,  suggested  in  this  picture, 
is  in  the  attitude  of  the  redeemed.  They  stand 
before  the  Lamb.    This  probably  indicates  readi- 

20 


306  THE  SAINTS  IN  HEAVEN 

ness  for  service.  Heaven  is  not  to  be  a  place 
of  idle  rest,  but  the  saved  will  have  work  to  do. 
These  powers  of  ours  are  not  being  trained  so 
carefully  here  to  be  folded  up  and  laid  away  in 
idleness  through  all  eternity.  We  are  to  be  as 
the  angels  in  heaven,  and  they  are  engaged  per- 
petually in  service  before  Grod's  throne.  What 
our  work  will  be  we  cannot  tell,  but  we  may  be 
sure  it  will  be  suited  to  our  enlarged  capacities 
and  powers  in  the  heavenly  life.  Probably  we 
have  la  hint  of  the  work  of  the  redeemed  in  the 
coming  to  earth  of  Moses  and  Elijah  at  the  time 
of  Christ's  transfiguration,  to  minister  to  Him 
and  cheer  Him  in  His  way  of  sorrow.  May  it 
not  be  that  in  the  eternal  ages  all  the  redeemed 
shall  be  similarly  employed  in  carrying  blessings 
to  other  spheres'? 

* 'Arrayed  in  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their 
hands. ' '  Here  we  have  a  glimpse  of  the  redeemed 
in  heaven.  For  one  thing,  their  white  robes  in- 
dicate purity.  There  will  be  no  sin  in  heaven. 
Before  entering  the  gate  every  stain  will  be 
washed  away  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  the 
saved  will  be  made  perfectly  whole.  We  groan 
here  under  the  humiliation  of  our  faults  and 
blemishes,  our  many  infirmities  and  imperfec- 
tions, and  our  corrupt  hearts,  which  keep  our 
lives  always  blotched  and  stained.  We  never  can 
get  clear  of  this  burden  in  our  present  life.  The 
holiest  saint  can  never  have  a  perfectly  white 
robe  on  this  earth.    But  here  we  have  a  glimpse 


REVELATION  VII :  9-17  307 

of  a  day  coming  in  which  all  who  reach  heaven 
shall  be  entirely  free,  and  free  forever,  from 
every  stain  of  sin.  The  garments  of  the  redeemed 
shall  be  white,  without  one  spot.  Our  hearts  shall 
be  thoroughly  cleansed.  They  shall  leave  behind 
them  all  corruption,  and  shall  never  again  have 
a  sinful  thought  or  feeling  or  desire,  but  seeing 
Christ  as  He  is,  shall  be  like  Him  forever.  The 
white  robes  indicate  not  only  purity,  but  glor>\ 
On  the  transfiguration  mount  we  see  two  heavenly 
inhabitants  on  a  mission  to  earth,  and  we  are  told 
that  they  appeared  in  glory — in  glorified  forms. 
They  were  saints  in  their  everyday  heavenly 
dress.  Here  our  bodies  are  dull,  and  their  beauty 
is  marred  by  sin;  but  the  spiritual  body  will  be 
glorious,  like  Christ's.  The  palms  in  the  hands 
of  the  redeemed  probably  indicated  joy  and  re- 
joicing. Heaven  will  be  a  place  of  great  happi- 
ness and  of  blessed  triumph.  There  will  be  no 
tears  there,  and  no  defeat,  no  failure.  Those 
who  have  been  always  sick  here  will  be  well  there ; 
and  those  who  have  failed  here  in  all  their  earthly 
life  will  be  among  the  victors  there. 

The  occupation  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven  will 
be  praise.  Their  praise  will  be  for  salvation. 
They  will  never  forget  in  their  blessedness  that 
they  owe  it  all  to  God's  mercy,  and  Christ's  sacri- 
fice on  their  behalf.  They  will  always  remember 
what  they  were  by  nature,  and  how  they  were 
redeemed  and  lifted  up  to  glory  at  a  great  cost. 
We  should  notice  here,  also,  that  Jesus  is  wor- 


308  THE  SAINTS  IN  HEAVEN 

sMped  with  the  Father  in  heaven.  Some  people 
tell  lis  that  Jesus  was  only  a  good  man;  but 
would  all  the  redeemed  in  heaven  worship  a  mere 
man? 

"We  have  a  glimpse  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven. 
Throngs  of  angels  mingled  with  them.  The 
angels  were  not  redeemed  by  Christ,  as  men  have 
been,  for  they  never  sinned  nor  fell,  and  there- 
fore they  needed  no  redemption.  Yet  they  are 
deeply  interested  in  the  salvation  of  sinners,  and 
help  God's  saints  in  their  earthly  struggles  and 
dangers.  They  are  ministering  spirits,  who  on 
earth  minister  to  the  heirs  of  salvation.  They 
guard  the  children,  and  help  the  poor  and  tempted, 
and  strengthen  weak  souls.  They  are  bright, 
holy  creatures,  and  it  will  be  great  joy  to  meet 
in  glory  these  friends  that  we  have  never  seen, 
but  who  have  seen  us  have  done  so  many  beauti- 
ful things  for  us. 

Note  well  the  question  and  answer  of  the  thir- 
teenth and  fourteenth  verses:  ^' These  that  are 
arrayed  in  the  white  robes,  who  are  they,  and 
whence  came  they?  .  .  .  These  are  they  that 
come  out  of  the  great  tribulation,  and  they  washed 
their  robes  ...  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb." 
They  are  not  those  who  have  lived  in  palaces  and 
have  never  known  pain  or  trial.  Heaven's  people 
are  those  who  have  had  much  suffering  on  the 
earth.  Some  of  them  had  to  pass  through  martyr 
fires ;  some  of  them  had  to  endure  sore  persecu- 
tions; some  suffered  poverty  and  sickness;  some 


REVELATION  VII :  9-17  309 

were  wronged  and  oppressed ;  some  had  trial  and 
mocking  and  imprisonment  and  cruel  scourging. 
The  way  to  heaven  is  not  always  an  easy  way. 
**  Through  many  tribulations  we  must  enter  into 
ihe  kingdom."  But  here  we  see  how  the  saints 
passed  through  all  this  tribulation  and  are  not 
offended  by  it.  It  does  not  leave  them  crushed 
and  broken.  They  stand  beyond  it  all — glorious. 
There  is  an  antidote  to  all  these  tribulations: 
washing  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  removes  all  the 
scars  and  marks  of  pain  and  sorrow. 

There  will  not  be  a  want  of  any  kind  in  heaven 
that  is  unsupplied.  The  ills  of  earth  are  past 
forever  when  we  reach  that  glorious  country.  In 
this  world  life  at  the  best  is  one  of  hungriness  and 
thirsts.  Even  if  the  bodily  wants  are  all  met, 
there  are  mental  and  spiritual  cravings  that  never 
can  be  supplied  here.  But  in  heaven  all  these 
desires  shall  be  satisfied.  Our  minds  shall  hun- 
ger no  more,  because  we  shall  know  even  as  we 
are  known.  Our  soul's  cravings  shall  all  be  met, 
for  in  God  we  shall  have  all  that  we  need. 

Jesus  will  be  their  Shepherd  in  heaven  as  on 
earth.  He  called  Himself  the  Good  Shepherd,  and 
we  see  there  that  He  is  a  faithful  shepherd  to 
His  sheep  in  this  world.  He  seeks  the  wander- 
ing and  the  lost,  and  bears  them  back  to  the  fold. 
He  feeds  and  leads  and  shelters  and  defends  all 
His  flock  with  loving  care.  He  gave  His  life  for 
the  sheep — dying  to  save  them.  Here  we  see 
Him   continuing:   the    same   tender   care   in   the 


310  THE  SAINTS  IN  HEAVEN 

heavenly  life.  He  will  never  have  to  give  His 
life  again  for  the  sheep  in  that  new  home.  He 
will  never  have  to  defend  them  from  danger, 
for  there  will  be  neither  enemy  nor  danger  there. 
He  will  never  have  to  bring  back  any  wandering 
or  lost  ones,  for  there  none  will  wander  away, 
nor  be  lost.  He  will  be  with  them  as  their  con- 
tinual companion  and  friend.  He  will  be  their 
guide,  leading  them  from  joy  to  joy,  from  bless- 
ing to  blessing,  to  the  trees  where  heavenly  fruits 
grow,  and  to  the  fountains  of  the  waters  of  life. 


CHAPTEE  XLIX 

THE  HEAVENLY  HOME 

Read  Rev.  XXII:  1-11 

In  the  early  pages  of  tlie  Bible  we  have  the  story 
of  paradise  lost.  In  the  closing  chapters  we  have 
paradise  regained.  Between  the  two  pictures  we 
have  the  story  of  Christ's  redemption.  All  we 
can  do  at  present  is  to  glance  hurriedly  at  some 
of  the  features  of  the  restoration.  The  new 
Jerusalem  is  a  city.  A  river  runs  through  it. 
The  waters  of  earth's  rivers  are  stained  and 
impure,  but  these  waters  are  pure,  clear  as  crystal. 
A  river  is  a  great  blessing  in  a  country.  It  bears 
refreshing,  fertilization  and  renewal  where  it 
flows.  It  quenches  thirst.  A  wilderness  has  no 
water.  This  world  is  described  in  the  Bible  as 
a  dry  and  thirsty  land  where  no  water  is.  A 
country  without  water  is  a  dreary  place  to  live. 
Man  and  beasts  suffer  from  thirst ;  vegetation  will 
not  grow.  Plants  and  flowers  dry  up  and  wither. 
A  river  flowing  through  the  holy  city  suggests 
that  there  shall  be  no  thirsts  unsatisfied.  Noth- 
ing shall  wither.  No  flower  shall  fade.  The 
water  is  the  water  of  life.  This  suggests  the 
spiritual  nature  of  the  blessings  pictured. 

The  source  of  the  river  is  suggestive.    It  flows 

311 


312  THE  HEAVENLY  HOME 

''proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the 
liamb."  There  is  a  strange  legend  of  the  Valley 
of  Chambra.  The  water  which  had  supplied  it 
failed.  Everything  was  parched  and  burnt  up. 
Birds  and  beasts  and  men  were  dying  of  thirst. 
The  oracle  said  that  if  the  Princess  Reni  would 
give  her  life  for  her  people,  the  water  would  flow 
forth  from  her  grave.  When  she  heard  this  she 
answered,  ''Here  am  I,"  and  gave  herself  gladly 
to  the  sacrifice.  Then  from  her  'grave  there 
burst  out  a  great  stream  of  water,  which  flowed 
into  all  parts  of  the  valley,  carrying  refreshment 
to  every  plant  and  flower,  and  supplying  drink 
for  bird  and  beast  and  man.  This  heathen  legend 
is  a  beautiful  illustration  of  the  redemption  of 
Christ.  The  world  was  dying  of  thirst,  and  there 
was  no  hope  of  blessing.  Then  God  gave  His 
only  begotten  Son,  and  Jesus  Christ  gave  Himself 
in  death  on  the  cross,  and  from  His  open  grave 
there  poured  forth  the  streams  of  the  water  of 
life  which  carry  blessing  wherever  the  gospel 
goes. 

There  is  more  of  this  picture  of  the  garden 
city.  On  the  banks  of  the  river  grows  the  tree 
of  life,  another  feature  of  paradise  restored.  This 
tree  of  life  bears  a  great  variety  of  fruit.  Each 
month  has  its  own  fruits,  so  that  at  no  time  in 
the  year  will  those  coming  to  the  trees  go  away 
unsatisfied.  You  remember  that  Jesus  Himself 
once  went  to  a  fig  tree  to  find  food  and  found 
only  leaves.    But  this  will  never  be  true  of  the 


EEVELATION  XXH :  1-11  313 

trees  that  grow  beside  the  river  of  life  in  the 
New  Jerusalem.  There  is  also  great  variety  of 
fruits,  so  that  every  form  of  hunger  will  find 
satisfaction.  Every  longing,  every  desire,  every 
craving,  every  need  of  every  life  will  be  fully  met. 

Even  the  leaves  of  these  trees  are  for  use. 
They  possess  medicinal  value.  May  we  not  think 
of  the  pages  of  the  Bible,  the  messages  of  the 
gospel,  and  all  Christian  literature  as  leaves  of 
the  tree  of  life,  scattered  abroad  for  the  healing 
of  the  nations?  Think  what  blessings  these 
leaves,  bearing  on  them  the  words  of  God,  have 
been  to  the  world  wherever  they  have  gone !  They 
carry  comfort  to  the  sorrowing,  strength  to  the 
weak,  cheer  to  the  discouraged,  knowledge  to  the 
ignorant,  inspiration,  hope,  joy,  life  to  all.  Doctor 
Fairbairn  speaks  of  the  words  of  Christ  as  a 
handful  of  sweet  spices  cast  into  the  bitter  waters 
of  this  world,  sweetening  them.  These  leaves  of 
the  tree  of  life,  likewise  scattered  through  the 
nations,  work  healing  and  blessing  eveiywhere. 

The  new  city  of  God,  while  it  has  in  it  all 
beauty  and  good,  is  characterized  also  by  the 
absence  of  things  that  mar  the  happiness  and  joy 
of  the  earth.  ''There  shall  be  no  curse  any 
more."  Sin  is  the  cause  of  all  curse,  and  there 
will  be  no  sin  in  this  holy  city,  and  consequently 
none  of  the  bitter  fruits  of  sin.  * '  There  shall  be 
night  no  more."  Night  is  caused  by  the  with- 
drawal of  the  sun's  light,  and  Christ  is  the  light 
of  this  new  city.    His  light  never  fails  and  never 


314  THE  HEAVENLY  HOME 

hides  itself.  Night  is  a  symbol  of  ignorance,  of 
superstition,  of  all  evil,  and  none  of  these  shall 
be  found  in  the  regenerated  life.  In  the  twenty- 
first  chapter  of  Revelation  we  are  told  that  there 
shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow  nor  cry- 
ing, neither  shall  there  be  any  pain;  and  no  one 
ever  shall  be  sick  there.  These,  too,  are  miseries 
and  evils  that  follow  sin,  and  when  sin  is  ex- 
cluded, all  its  baleful  consequences  are  also  ex- 
cluded. 

Those  who  dwell  in  this  new  city  shall  have 
privileges  and  enjoyments  of  which  they  have 
never  even  dreamed  in  the  present  world.  ''The 
throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  therein. '  * 
It  is  thought  to  be  a  high  honour  to  live  close  to 
earthly  kings  and  great  men.  It  is  an  infinitely 
higher  honour  to  live  close  to  the  throne  of  God. 
This  means  continual  blessing,  everlasting  joy, 
divine  companionship.  It  will  be  a  safe  place 
to  live  in,  for  nothing  can  ever  go  wrong  beside 
the  throne  of  God,  the  center  of  all  power  and 
also  of  all  love. 

This  new  life  will  not  be  one  of  idleness. 
Those  who  live  in  this  city  will  not  spend  all 
their  time  in  rapturous  enjoyment,  in  ecstatic 
peace.  They  will  be  active.  ''His  servants  shall 
serve  him."  Love  always  serves.  It  what  ways 
Christ's  friends  shall  serve  in  heaven  we  do 
no  know.  There  will  be  no  human  need  to  re- 
lieve, no. sorrow  to  comfort,  no  sick  to  visit,  no 
hungry  to  feed  in  that  land  of  life.     Perhaps, 


REVELATION  XXII :  1-11  31 5 

however,  tliey  will  be  sent  to  other  worlds,  where 
such  needs  shall  exist  as  exist  now  in  this  world 
of  ours.  They  will  also  be  admitted  to  Christ's 
immediate  presence.  Their  hearts  will  be  pure, 
cleansed  from  all  sin,  and  they  can  look  upon  the 
face  of  God  and  live. 

Another  blessing  will  be  that  Christ's  name 
shall  be  on  their  foreheads.  The  name  means 
the  character — and  the  likeness  of  Christ  shall 
appear  in  His  friends.  When  they  see  Him  they 
shall  be  like  Him.  It  is  noted  that  this  divine 
beauty  is  said  to  be  on  the  forehead,  where  others 
can  see  it,  and  where  they  themselves  cannot  see 
it.  This  is  a  mark  of  all  true  excellence — those 
who  possess  it  are  unaware  of  the  radiance. 
''Moses  knew  not  that  the  skin  of  his  face 
shone." 

These  promises  are  not  mere  impossible 
dreams.  The  words  are  faithful  and  true.  Not 
one  of  them  shall  fail  of  fulfillment.  They  are 
fulfilled  in  a  sense  in  the  Christian  life  in  this 
world,  in  everyone  who  believes  Christ  and  fol- 
lows Him.  The  holy  city  descends  out  of  heaven 
from  God.  Heaven  must  come  down  and  begin 
in  us,  in  our  hearts,  in  the  present  life,  or  we 
never  can  enter  into  heaven  above.  The  words 
are  fulfilled  in  a  measure  also  for  everyone  who, 
dying  in  Christ,  passes  into  the  presence  of  God. 
The  full  and  final  fulfillment,  however,  will  be  at 
the  end  of  all  things,  when  Christ  shall  come 
again,  and  gather  all  His  own  into  one  great 
company  in  the  New  Jerusalem. 


CHAPTER  L 

THE    GREAT    INVITATIOIT 

Read  Rev.  XXII:  11-21 

The  character  with  which  men  reach  the  judg- 
ment will  be  their  permanent  character  forever. 
The  man  who  lives  in  sin,  refusing  the  cross  of 
Christ  unto  the  end,  is  making  his  own  destiny. 
Habits  of  sin  make  the  whole  life  sinful.  It  is 
this  that  gives  such  solemnity  to  life.  The  seeds 
of  our  future  lie  in  our  present.  Out  of  our 
little  acts  habits  grow;  from  our  habits  char- 
acter springs;  and  character  fixes  our  destiny, 
for  everyone  goes  to  his  own  place — that  is, 
the  place  for  which  he  is  fitted  by  his  life  on 
the  earth.  He  who  has  learned  here  to  sin  will 
continue  to  sin  forever.  Eternal  death  is  simply 
eternal  sin,  with  the  punishments  and  conse- 
quences thereof.  The  punishment  of  the  wicked 
will  not  then  be  an  arbitrary  punishment,  but 
the  natural  result  of  their  own  choices  and  acts  in 
this  life.  Another  thing  which  seems  to  be  taught 
very  clearly  is,  that  this  final  fixing  of  character 
takes  place  at  the  close  of  the  life  on  earth. 
Nothing  but  the  divine  grace  can  change  the 
tendencies  of  a  sinful  life,  regenerating  it,  and 

816 


EEVELATION  XXII :  11-21  317 

making  that  holy  which  was  wicked;  and  when 
sinners  pass  out  of  this  world  they  pass  away 
from  the  sway  of  grace,  and  the  mirighteous  shall 
do  unrighteousness  forever. 

"As  the  tree  falls,  so  must  it  He; 
As  the  man  lives,  so  must  he  die; 
As  a  man  dies,  such  must  he  be 
All  through  the  ages  of  eternity." 

In  the  words,  '*He  that  is  righteous,  let  him  do 
righteousness  still,"  there  is  a  hint  of  the  nature 
of  the  heavenly  home.  The  same  good  things  we 
have  learned  to  do  here  we  shall  continue  to  do 
there.  Righteousness  is  the  doing  of  right  things, 
and  the  righteous  life  is  one  that  has  been  trans- 
formed by  divine  grace  into  Christlilie  character. 
This  word  says  simply  that  those  who  have 
learned  here  to  do  righteousness  shall  continue 
in  the  other  life  to  do  righteousness.  We  shall 
still  obey  God  there,  and  do  His  will — only  we 
shall  be  more  obedient,  and  shall  do  His  will  there 
better  than  here.  We  shall  never  in  the  smallest 
thing  disobey  or  cross  God's  will.  We  shall  love 
God  there,  and  love  each  other,  and  our  life  shall 
be  a  perfect  brotherhood;  heaven  shall  be  a  per- 
fect home.  It  will  still  be  more  blessed  there 
to  give  than  to  receive.  They  shall  still  be  chief 
there  who  shall  serve.  Love,  joy,  peace,  long- 
suffering,  meekness,  gentleness,  goodness,  truth 
will  still  be  fruits  of  the  Spirit  there  as  they  are 
here.     Life  in  heaven  will  not  be  so  strange  to 


318  THE  GREAT  INVITATION 

us  as  We  think,  if  we  have  learned  to  do  God's 
will  in  this  world.  The  ' 'everlasting  life"  begins 
the  moment  we  believe  on  Christ.  While  we  re- 
main here  it  is  hindered  and  hampered  by  the 
limitations  of  earth,  but  in  all  true  Christian  ex- 
periences there  are  intimations  of  what  the  full 
blessedness  will  be.  Wlien  we  reach  heaven,  the 
life  begun  here  will  go  on,  only  without  hindrance, 
limitations,  or  imperfections,  forever. 

It  makes  a  great  difference,  therefore,  how 
we  live  in  this  world.  There  is  an  impression  in 
some  people's  minds  that  they  can  live  in  sin  all 
their  days,  and  then  by  a  few  tears  of  penitence 
and  a  few  cries  of  mercy  in  a  dying  hour  can 
change  all  the  course  of  their  life  and  spend 
eternity  in  heaven.  This  verse  does  not  favour 
such  a  view.  The  future  life  is  the  harvest  of 
this  life.  Men  will  be  judged  by  their  deeds.  The 
New  Testament  everywhere  teaches  the  same  sol- 
emn truth.  This  does  not  mean  that  salvation 
is  of  works.  We  are  saved  by  grace,  but  grace 
changes  the  life  and  makes  us  holy.  There  is  no 
evidence  in  the  unregenerate  life  that  Christ  has 
wrought  there  at  all.  Of  course  the  deathbed 
repentance  may  be  genuine,  and  if  so,  it  will  avail. 
One  repentance  in  the  hour  of  death  is  recorded 
in  the  gospel,  but  even  then  the  man  lived  long 
enough  to  show  that  his  repentance  was  true,  that 
his  life  was  indeed  regenerated.  Christ  can  any 
time  work  the  same  miracle,  changing  the  heart 
and  transforming  the  life  in  an  instant;  but  this 


REVELATION  XXII :  11-21  319 

is  not  the  usual  way.  ''To  die  is  gain"  only  when 
we  have  been  able  to  say,  **To  me  to  live  is 
Christ/' 

Only  those  who  have  washed  their  robes  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb  can  ever  enter  the  gates 
of  the  city.  What  is  it  to  wash  one's  robes?  It 
implies  sinfulness  and  guilt  in  every  life,  which 
must  be  removed  before  heaven's  gates  can  be 
passed.  Without  holiness  it  is  impossible  to  see 
God,  or  to  dwell  in  His  presence.  The  words 
imply  also  that  nothing  but  the  blood  of  Christ 
will  remove  the  gTiilt  or  the  pollution  of  sin.  We 
must  accept  Christ's  atonement  for  the  cleansing 
of  our  guilt,  and  depend  altogether  upon  the 
merits  of  His  sacrifice  for  our  salvation ;  and  we 
must  depend  altogether  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  for 
the  renewing  and  cleansing  of  our  natures.  It 
must  be  noticed  here  also  that  we  ourselves  must 
do  the  washing.  That  is,  no  one  is  cleansed  of 
sin's  guilt  or  pollution  excepting  those  who  vol- 
untarily turn  to  Christ  and  accept  Him  as  their 
Saviour.  This  shows  us  at  once  where  the  re- 
sponsibility rests.  After  all  that  Christ  has  done 
in  making  at  such  great  cost  the  glorious  salva- 
tion for  sinners,  none  can  enter  into  heaven  save 
those  who  by  their  own  will  come  to  Him  and 
wash  their  robes  in  His  blood. 

It  is  well  enough  sometimes  to  study  heaven 
from  the  outside.  We  often  talk  about  what  it 
will  be  like  inside,  who  wiU  be  there,  what  they 
will  do,  how  they  will  live.    Here  we  get  a  nega- 


320  THE  GEEAT  INVITATION 

tive  view.  So  there  will  be  a  ^'without."  Some 
people  would  have  us  think  there  will  be  nobody 
outside  of  heaven,  that  all  will  somehow  get  in- 
side. This  verse  does  not  favour  such  a  view. 
It  certainly  was  not  so  in  John's  vision.  In  an- 
other place  we  learn  that  heaven  has  twelve  gates. 
So  many  gates  indicate  abundance  of  entrance 
room.  From  whatsoever  point  you  approach 
heaven,  there  is  a  gate  before  you.  Yet  the  fact 
that  there  are  gates  indicates  that  there  are  con- 
ditions of  entrance,  and  that  men  cannot  flock  in 
indiscriminately.  We  have  just  learned  in  the 
previous  verse  that  only  those  whose  robes  are 
washed,  or  those  who  do  God's  commandments, 
can  enter  these  gates.  Then  here  we  see  who  are 
excluded.  There  is  admission  for  the  worst  of 
sinners,  but  not  while  they  remain  sinners ;  they 
must  be  washed  and  sanctified  and  made  meet 
for  the  heavenly  inheritance.  A  casual  glance 
over  the  description  of  those  without  shows  the 
kind  of  company  they  will  be  in  who  reject  Christ 
and  heaven.  Who  wants  to  live  forever  in  such 
society?  It  would  be  worse  even  than  living  for- 
ever in  a  state's  prison,  among  convicts.  It 
would  be  well,  too,  to  take  a  glimpse  of  the  ex- 
cluded characters  described  here,  to  see  whether 
we  are  in  danger  of  being  kept  out. 

The  invitation  to  enter  heaven  is  wide  and 
free.  No  one  will  be  shut  out  for  want  of  room, 
or  because  there  is  no  invitation  for  him.  Those 
who  are  finally  lost  will  be  lost  simply  because 


REVELATION  XXII :  11-21  321 

they  will  not  be  saved.  Through  the  whole  New 
Testament  Jesus  labours  to  show  men  that  His 
salvation  is  for  all  who  will  take  it;  it  is  even 
pressed  upon  all.  Every  page  of  tlie  book  glows 
with  invitations.  Even  here,  as  the  volume  is 
about  to  be  closed,  the  invitation  is  given  again 
in  the  most  earnest,  affectionate,  beseeching  way. 
As  we  come  to  the  last  words  of  the  Bible,  and 
find  this  blessed  invitation  here,  we  should  ask 
ourselves  whether  we  have  accepted  it  or  not. 

The  Book  closes  with  a  benediction.  Its  last 
word  is  grace.  It  is  interesting  to  compare  with 
this  the  last  words  of  the  Old  Testament — **Lest 
I  come  and  smite  the  earth  with  a  curse."  The 
old  volume  ended,  leaving  a  threat  of  curse  hang- 
ing over  the  earth.  The  New  Testament,  however, 
closes  with  a  benediction,  a  message  of  grace  and 
mercy.  As  the  sunshine  floods  the  fields  and  hills 
and  waters,  so  the  love  of  Christ  is  poured  out 
upon  the  earth.  God's  thoughts  toward  men  are 
thoughts  of  peace.  He  is  not  willing  that  any 
should  perish,  but  earnestly  desires  that  all  shall 
be  saved.  If  we  are  not  saved,  it  will  be  because 
we  reject  the  light  and  love  darkness  and  death 
better.  "With  this  benediction  resting  over  us, 
shall  we  not  hasten  now  under  its  bright  wings? 
It  will  be  a  blessed  shelter  for  us.  A  traveler 
plodded  on,  weary  and  hungry,  not  knowing 
where  to  turn  to  find  food  and  rest.  A  storm 
broke  upon  him,  and  he  fled  under  a  wide-spread- 
ing tree  for  shelter.  Here  he  found  not  only 
21 


322  THE  GREAT  INVITATION 

refuge  from  the  storm,  but  food  also,  for  tlie 
tree  gave  him  of  its  fruits  to  eat;  and  rest,  too, 
for  his  weariness.  So  the  weary  sons  of  men 
who  will  flee  under  this  benediction  shall  find 
shelter,  rest  and  bread. 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


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